"Is Big Brother listening? Oh yes, and so much more than just listening..."
Yesterday, while visiting with a friend, the subject of privacy came up. Just how secure is our privacy? These days, not very. On the way home from the visit, I started to think just how transparent our society has become. The bottom line I came up with is this- we are all animals living in a glass cage, visible to anyone who wants to look.
We can blame much of this on our government. Since the 9/11 attacks and the signing of the Patriot Act, the government now has far reaching snooping powers that they never had before. We as a society decided to trade away some of our freedom for more security. Just this week, a Federal Judge ruled the NSA surveillance program is indeed legal. This was less than two weeks after another judge ruled it illegal, possibly unconstitutional and "Orwellian" in nature. The issue in now headed full steam to the Supreme Court for final adjudication. It could will be a land mark decision for the ages, and define how we will live.
Basically, everything we do or say is subject to compromise. We have to assume that these days. If not from an intrusive government, then from evil doers who want to steal your identity or ruin your life. Every phone call made, be it land line or cell phone, should be considered non-secure. At one time (and I think this still holds true), the only secure method of voice communication (besides military grade encryption) was fiber optics. If someone tried to "tap" into a fiber optic conversation, the link was broken - call over.
Our computers leak like a sieve. For anyone who thinks what is put on a computer is safe is only fooling themselves. First off, 99% of all computers used in this country are not tempest certified. That means that every keystroke (because they emit a small amount of electromagnetic radiation) made can be picked up by the proper equipment close to where your computer resides. Second, every e-mail sent over normal channels should be considered "open source". Anyone with the right skills and equipment can read your stuff - even modify it. Finally, even with the best anti-viral software on the market, it is not good enough to protect you 100% from everything. New viruses, malware, spyware, Trojan horse software and whatever is constantly being produced. And after what happened at Target this Christmas season, we saw the methods of delivering this computer poison is also improving.
Look for vast improvements in our credit and debit card security in the near future. Right now, they are "low fruit on the tree" for hackers who have the right equipment - and the right equipment is getting better and more sophisticated all the time. When I worked at IBM, they were experimenting with some biometrics on identification cards. I really think this will be the wave of the future. Until that happens, your only defense is to go online and check your bank and charge account balances DAILY.
Is Big Brother really watching? Oh yes, watching and so much more. The problem is it is not just Big Brother - the bad guys from overseas and domestic are watching also. Just looking for that "crack" which will let them into your lives and fortunes. When it comes to your personal and financial privacy, my parting words are just this - Caveat Emptor (Let the buyer (or citizen) beware...)
Basically, everything we do or say is subject to compromise. We have to assume that these days. If not from an intrusive government, then from evil doers who want to steal your identity or ruin your life. Every phone call made, be it land line or cell phone, should be considered non-secure. At one time (and I think this still holds true), the only secure method of voice communication (besides military grade encryption) was fiber optics. If someone tried to "tap" into a fiber optic conversation, the link was broken - call over.
Our computers leak like a sieve. For anyone who thinks what is put on a computer is safe is only fooling themselves. First off, 99% of all computers used in this country are not tempest certified. That means that every keystroke (because they emit a small amount of electromagnetic radiation) made can be picked up by the proper equipment close to where your computer resides. Second, every e-mail sent over normal channels should be considered "open source". Anyone with the right skills and equipment can read your stuff - even modify it. Finally, even with the best anti-viral software on the market, it is not good enough to protect you 100% from everything. New viruses, malware, spyware, Trojan horse software and whatever is constantly being produced. And after what happened at Target this Christmas season, we saw the methods of delivering this computer poison is also improving.
Look for vast improvements in our credit and debit card security in the near future. Right now, they are "low fruit on the tree" for hackers who have the right equipment - and the right equipment is getting better and more sophisticated all the time. When I worked at IBM, they were experimenting with some biometrics on identification cards. I really think this will be the wave of the future. Until that happens, your only defense is to go online and check your bank and charge account balances DAILY.
Is Big Brother really watching? Oh yes, watching and so much more. The problem is it is not just Big Brother - the bad guys from overseas and domestic are watching also. Just looking for that "crack" which will let them into your lives and fortunes. When it comes to your personal and financial privacy, my parting words are just this - Caveat Emptor (Let the buyer (or citizen) beware...)
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