The Washington Post and National Public Radio (NPR) recently released stories about personal data compilation and the security and privacy of that data. According to the Washington Post’s article, the national study from the Fordham University Center on Law and Information Policy concludes that states may collect and store more information that is necessary from elementary to high school students and raises the question on the security and vulnerability of that data.

NPR’s All Thing’s Considered aired Online Data Present a Privacy Minefield focusing on the distribution and flow of personal information as it is collected from an identifiable source and distributed to another.

Technology is both a blessing and a curse. It has allowed us to move in to a digital world where we are more efficient and productive, but it subjects us to an environment where our personal information is not personal anymore. Each of us has our own set of activities and behaviors and personal identifiers that define us. That’s our identity. But the concept of identity has changed over the years with the explosion of the digital age, exposing our identities even more. Facebook, Twitter, email, online purchases, visits to the doctor’s office, and everyday mundane activities like grocery shopping and using your reward savings card requires us to our personal information to get what we want.

Even if you have limited your activity online and have been cautious with your personal information, the average adult still has thousands of pieces of data associated with them. For example, if you register to participate in a sports event like a 10K race, you must provide your name, address, phone number, and date of birth. This is information is then sold to other vendors who will market their products or events to you, and may collect additional information, and then sell that information to another vendor, and so on. So one innocent application to participate in a sporting event can equate to your personal information being sold and distributed to a dozen more vendors who match that information to other lists with more of your personal data that builds a more complete profile of you. You have no control over how far and wide your personal information can be distributed.

Many of us have established habits and lifestyles that, quite frankly, we don’t want to change. We like the convenience and benefits associated with loyalty/rewards programs, online shopping, and social media networks. Our information is already in cyberspace in so many different shapes and forms that it’s not likely we can pull it back and start over again. But we don’t need to panic. What we can do is be more vigilant about who we share our information with and ask why it is needed. Does the retailer really need your phone number? (They don’t; it’s for marketing purposes only.) Does your son’s baseball team really need a birth certificate? (Have them verify your son’s age at school.) Ask questions and if you don’t like the answer you get, don’t provide the information.

Identity thieves are having a field day with the unending trail of information that is accessible to them through social networking sites, and openly available through Google searches. Think before you post or share any information with friends or family. The best defense against identity theft is to protect yourself and to make yourself aware of what information is out there on you (personal, credit, etc.) and to review if for accuracy. Remember, criminals use bits of data to find ways to infiltrate your personal space and computer so they can gather highly confidential information to steal. Protect your data, protect your computer and methods of transmitting data, and be on guard against phishers, keyloggers, and other “collectors” that may attack your phone or your computer in search of highly confidential keys to your financial resources.

No related posts.