Privacy and Security. Is It Still Relevant?

When I got my Facebook at the age of thirteen, my mom only had two rules: Don’t add people you don’t know, and always keep your profile at high security. What’s funny is I think my security on my Facebook hasn’t changed. So unless we’re mutual friends, you can’t find me. HA GOOD LUCK CREEPERS.

Maddie and I did a podcast regarding this topic. I find it interesting that when I googled “How Safe am I on the Internet Quiz” this quiz from the 90’s showed up. If internet security is important in parents’ minds there should be a better quiz out there for kids to know what is and is not ok. In order to get adults more conciencious about security it starts with the younger generation. With better quizzes could come a new group of knowledgable adults in the future who are not scared of security but are very tactful with where they put information.

With a vast and growing virtual storing space, the likelihood of paranoia has potential to occur. It doesn’t help that there are security cameras on every corner and the ability to hack into people’s phones or company websites is so easy. Although, I think we forget that we were the ones who put our information out there. So it is by no means the internet’s fault because the user was the one who plugged in their email and phone number without taking time to read the fine print. This means that computer surfers find more value in what they’re getting rather than the information they are giving. Putting information on the internet has value and is basically a transaction now. Consumers get a facebook or twitter if they share their email and put up with push notifications on their phone. Your information is a price and you the consumer gets to choose the price it goes for.

Jennifer Goldbeck, a writer for Psychology Today wrote an article called “All Eyes on You.”. It essentially talks about the paranoia people have. She brings up the point about cellphones. Everywhere you go, your phone can tell you how far and long you’ve walked and where you’re headed next. It has your contacts and calendar just sitting there waiting for you. It’s so easy to find out what little Morgan Johnson in Greenville, Illinois is doing at the touch of a button. Who would want to know that information, I’m not sure but it is easily accessible to whoever really desired to know.

Internet security goes both ways. Wired a magazine about the latest in business, science and culture published an article written by David Gorodyansky called Internet Privacy and Security: A Shared Responsibility. The article says it’s important to remember that it’s your job to make sure you are aware of what you put on the internet, but also important that companies do a better job at providing safe and secure web usage at their individual sites. It can’t be done over night though. David’s call to action is to participate in the debate about privacy and security.

I think slowly, we understand that our digital footprint is growing and with that can come paranoia about what is actually deemed “private” or not. The important thing to remember is we should look into what and where we sign away our information. If it leaks, are we ok with it? If not, do we have the resources to fix the problem and get back on track? “Privacy” is no longer defined by 90’s standards. Get used to it because that definition is going to keep changing as technology evolves.