This year has already seen two of the largest technological conglomerations on IT security and data protection in the world.
The first of these was Global Data Privacy Day on January 28, first introduced by the Council of Europe and now an international landmark for all the tech companies and governments; the second was the RSA Security Conference, held in San Francisco from 25 February to 1 March.
In San Francisco, senior executives from Microsoft and Google, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales and former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice were among some of the big names giving keynote speeches, leading one blogger to label the four-day event ‘the greatest IT Security show on Earth’.
With global tech giants such as Microsoft and Google offering their fervent support for such events, the conferences and international awareness days reveal the extent of concern for online privacy for internet users, companies and governments alike.
So, why the big fuss?
Although there are more internet users than ever before, the reality is that internet usage does not translate to internet awareness, and few of us know the true depth of the medium in which we surf. Unlike speed cameras and CCTV, it is notoriously difficult to spot the potential hazards in the cyber seas we frequent.
According to a survey commissioned by Microsoft for Global Protection Day 2013, less than 50 percent of adult internet users in America are aware of the consequences of their actions online, while 45 percent admitted to feeling a complete lack of control when browsing the internet. In addition, social networking sites such as Facebook and Instagram make it easy to ‘spy’ on friends, acquaintances, and even complete strangers.
Tracking devices such as cookies also affect our online experience. By placing tiny files into your computer when you surf, cookies are able to gather and store information on your behalf – often leading to the strange sensation of seeing a product you previously liked on Facebook or viewed on a shopping site pop up in the ads on an unrelated site days later. Although useful and largely harmless, behavior-based internet technologies such as cookies could be used by third parties without privacy policies.
The amount of data we leave in cyber space – coupled with our lack of awareness of our personal presence online and the rise in online tracking – have given rise to a higher risk of cyber criminality and a greater need for privacy.
What is being done?
At the forefront of the objectives of Data Privacy Day was to raise online awareness and empower internet users to own their online presence. After schooling yourself on privacy and your place within it, the best way to achieve it is through technology itself.
Private Browsing
The proliferation of ‘Do Not Track’ (DNT) features now available on all the major web browsers such as Mozilla Firefox, Safari and Internet Explorer, are responding to the call for better online privacy and the desire to leave a traceless trail online. DNT applications use a simple HTTP header as a universal request to websites and third-party sites to disable their tracking devices and allow the user to browse the internet in (relative) freedom. This opt-out mechanism is hugely successful and although DNT is technically a request and not an order, failure to honour the solicitation can be bad for business. Online advertising agencies such as AdTruth and Chitika are two of many which have endeavoured to commit to DNT and maintain consumer approval.
Windows Internet Explorer 10 includes other privacy settings alongside DNT features, such as the Browse InPrivate tab. When enabled, this tab deletes search history, web history, and any passwords used at the end of each browsing session. The browser also includes a Smart Screen Filter to protect internet users against spyware or suspect sites and Tracking Protection Software to block the transfer of personal data to third-parties
Windows Internet Explorer 10 is a sign of the current focus on privacy.
Computer manufacturers are echoing some of these technological advancements on privacy by offering ways to protect clients’ online privacy in public with the use of screen filters for laptops, which make the laptop screen visible only to the individual directly in front of the monitor. Computer companies such as Lenovo and Dell use the latest 3M Micro-louver technology to create screens that can be fitted for laptops and notepads to help privatise public surfing. Manufacturers like Lenovo also offer other security options for tablets, including fingerprint sensors.
These are some of the ways in which technology is supplying the demand for online privacy. Future developments will continue to help internet users identify and tackle unwarranted tracking, enabling them to remain hidden while they surf the web.
