It’s been said that the Internet is little more than a massive digital copying machine. While that may be something of an exaggeration and an understatement at the same time, there is still some truth in it. Everything that happens online, every communication, every shared file, every link followed, every action, and every move you make is recorded and stored somewhere.
The Internet is the best communication device humans have ever laid hands on. It’s made us smarter, more resistant to corporate programming, and given us more ways to make money and share ideas than ever before. But that’s not just true of you, your neighbor, and other decent people. It’s also true of those who would use that freedom and power to commit crime. To that end, here are 5 online privacy issues that might startle you.
5 Startling Facts about Internet Privacy
Any time you’re dealing with a large system or a massive data set, you’re going to have strong outliers. But when it comes to the Internet, these statistical anomalies affect us all.
Online Privacy Laws
While existing laws regulating online privacy do some good, surveys show that at least 68% of people are dissatisfied with legal protections protecting their online activity. The reality is that government mandates can only do so much. In the end, your security is up to you, and the professionals you hire to protect it.
Internet Security Awareness
Internet security firms estimate that over 2 and a half billion people are hit with data breaches like Linkedin identity theft each year. Some of the world’s most popular and trusted sites have been the targets of the biggest and most well-known attacks. The good news is that these events have raised awareness of the need for security.
Location Sharing
Studies indicate that roughly 20% of mobile users have never turned off the location tracking feature on their smartphones. This gives not only government agencies and advertisers access to their location, but also any hacker with the knowledge and desire to spy, stalk, and monitor.
Internet Scams
By now almost everyone has been hit with an attempt to steal their private information. Websites spoofing legitimate ones, email scammers, web crawler crime, and so much more are all being used at every moment of the day to ensnare the unwary, steal their information, and trick them into spending money on non-existent products and services.
Threats to Career & Reputation
More and more, people’s careers are intertwined with their activity on the Internet. This means that data breaches are not just a threat to your privacy and your bank account, but your job and your very employability. Even false accusations can be enough to make a person lose their job, or to make an employer want to distance themselves from the victim.
What all this means is social media cyber security is more important than ever. Don’t become another online security statistic. Protect your data security. Get in touch with the data security experts at Internet Privacy.