DID YOU KNOW THAT:Official use: Court records / employers / government (law enforcement and foreign intelligence)
Court records. When you file a lawsuit for divorce or are a party to a civil lawsuit or criminal case, court records are accessible to the public. As the government increasingly moves to eliminate paper records in favor of electronic records, your personal information could end up on the Internet.
There are two ways public records are accessible electronically. Some jurisdictions post them on their government Web sites, thereby providing free or low-cost access to records. Government agencies and courts also sell their public files to commercial data compilers and information brokers. They in turn make them available on a fee basis, either via Web sites or by special network hookups. The following are examples of public records containing personal information available remotely via electronic access.
• Property tax assessor files. Typical records contain name of owner, description of property, and the assessed value for taxation purposes. Some systems even provide blueprints and photographs of the property.
• Motor vehicle records. Registration, licensing, and driver history information (varies by state).
• Registered voter files (restricted in some states).
• Professional and business licenses.
• Court files:
• Case indexes
• Tax liens and judgments
• Bankruptcy files
• Criminal arrest and conviction records, and warrants
• Civil court recordings.
You should also be aware that old newspaper articles are often available online. One potential risk is that an article containing inaccuracies about you may be found, but a corresponding correction or later article will not be readily apparent.
As the public becomes aware of the information contained in public records, efforts have been made to redact sensitive information, such as your Social Security number. Recently there has been a push for laws restricting the use of such records for marketing purposes. South Carolina, for example, prohibits the use of public records of marketing purposes (political fundraising is exempted)…...
Spyware. Spyware is software that secretly gathers your information through your Internet connection without your knowledge. Sometimes it is also called “adware” and “malware.”
The original use was to collect information about users for advertising purposes. However, spyware can have more malicious uses. It can be used to track your keystrokes, which can reveal passwords and financial numbers.
Since spyware is software, it does not come with your new computer, but must be installed. This can be done either with your consent or without. Often spyware programs will be included with other software you want. When you consent to download the program you want, such as a music sharing program, you are also consenting to download spyware.
CNET, a popular site for downloading software, now only keeps files that pass inspection by Ad-Aware and Spyware Doctor. The Ad-Aware product is a free spyware removal utility that scans your computer's memory, registry, and hard drives for known spyware components and lets you remove them,
www.lavasoftusa.com…...
Cloud Computing
What is cloud computing?It is difficult to come up with a precise definition of cloud computing. In general terms, it’s the idea that your computer’s applications run somewhere on the “cloud”, that is to say, on someone else’s server accessed via the Internet. Instead of running program applications or storing data on your own computer, these functions are performed at remote servers which are connected to your computer through the Internet or other connections.
In telecommunications, a “cloud” is the unpredictable part of any network through which data passes between two end points. In cloud computing the term is used to refer generally to any computer, network or system through which personal information is transmitted, processed and stored, and over which individuals have little direct knowledge, involvement, or control.
With more reliable, affordable broadband access, the Internet no longer functions solely as a communications network. It has become a platform for computing. Rather than running software on your own computer or server, Internet users reach to the “cloud” to combine software applications, data storage, and massive computing power. A Pew Internet and American Life Study found that 69% of online Americans have utilized some form of cloud computing….
Who provides cloud computing services and what services do they provide?
It’s a bit easier to understand the concept of cloud computing by providing examples. Google operates several well-known cloud computing services. It offers its users applications such as e-mail, word processing, spreadsheets and storage, and hosts them "in the cloud"--in other words, on its own servers, not yours. So, for example, you can type a document without maintaining any word processing software on your computer. You can use Google’s software “in the cloud”. All you need is an Internet capable device. It doesn’t even need to be a computer.
Other examples of cloud computing include:
• Web-based email services such as Yahoo and Microsoft Hotmail
• Photo storing services such as Google’s Picassa
• Spreadsheet applications such as Zoho
• Online computer backup services such as Mozy
• File transfer services such as YouSendIt
• Online medical records storage such as Microsoft’s HealthVault
• Applications associated with social networking sites such as Facebook
• Tax preparation services such as H & R Block
• Word processing services such as AjaxWrite
• Social networking sites such as Facebook
The above services are ready to use “out of the box”. In addition, many cloud computing companies offer customized cloud computing services tailored to the specific needs of businesses and other organizations.
Some of the major players in cloud computing include:
• Google
• Yahoo
• Microsoft
• IBM
• Amazon
• Salesforce
• Sun Microsystems
• Oracle
• EMC
What are the risks of cloud computing?
When users store their data with programs hosted on someone else's hardware, they lose a degree of control over their sensitive information. The responsibility for protecting that information from hackers, internal breaches, and subpoenas then falls into the hands of the hosting company rather than the individual user. This can have many possible adverse consequences for users.
The privacy policy and terms of service of the hosting company should always be read carefully. While generally lengthy and sometimes difficult to understand, they will provide a good outline of what the host can and cannot do with your information. However, it is important to realize that most privacy policies and terms of service can and do change. In fact, you may not have an opportunity to remove your information from the hosting site before such a change.
The location of the host’s operations can significantly impact a user’s rights under the law. The location of the records might not be disclosed in the terms of service or might be changed without notice. This could have substantial legal consequences.
Government investigators or civil litigants trying to subpoena information could approach the hosting company without informing the data's owners. The hosting company generally does not have the same motivation as the user to defend against disclosure of the information.
Some companies could even willingly share sensitive data with marketing firms. So there is a privacy risk in putting your data in someone else's hands. Obviously, the safest approach is to maintain your data under your own control.
There is also a risk that the host might shut down its operations, declare bankruptcy, or sell the business to another provider. What might happen to your data if that were to happen?
One of the problems with cloud computing is that technology is frequently light years ahead of the law. There are many questions that need to be answered. Does the user or the hosting company own the data? Can the host deny a user access to their own data? And, most importantly from a privacy standpoint, how does the host protect the user’s data?
So, before you utilize any cloud computing services, be aware of the potential risks. And make sure that you carefully read the privacy policy and terms of service of the hosting company to become aware of your rights.
