Read first: My take on computer, network and online security

Here are some misunderstandings about online/network security.

First:

Just because you think that you have nothing to hide does not mean that you do not need to be familiar with security. Or because you think that, “I’ve been hacked so many times anyway, it doesn’t matter.” You do have information to protect. Everything that you do online is of great interest to many. Your actions online are valuable for marketers who want to know all that they can about you. Witness the fact that even though you are not a Facebook user, Facebook will still track you online. Check it out:

”In a blog postfollowing Zuckerberg’s (recent Congressional) testimony, Facebook expanded on exactly what the data is and where it comes from. Its main source of information on non-users is websites or apps which use Facebook services:

‘When you visit a site or app that uses our services, we receive information even if you’re logged out or don’t have a Facebook account. This is because other apps and sites don’t know who is using Facebook.’”
Make no mistake, friends, Facebook isn’t the only company interested in using your private information to sell you things.
Isn’t it a feature to have companies know more about you so that only products in which you may be interested will show during your online browsing? It would have been had only the companies that you wanted had your information. Unfortunately, that is not true. Information that is collected about you is sold (in one way or another) to the highest bidder. And, folks, I don’t care how bad your credit is or that you have nothing in the bank to steal. Companies and governments are aggressively collecting your data!
You may say, “So what?” Like was mentioned previously, your data means real money to companies and any rogue, private individual. Plus, even the companies that you might actually want to know everything about you get hacked, and your information is out on the internet.
Second:
Governments – Well, they want to be able to convince you to vote for a particular person or not vote. Hostile powers want to sow discord through disinformation. That information collected from your online comments and activities tell them whether you might be sympathetic to their pitch – just like marketers. Also, they want to see if you are a threat to them. As a matter of fact, U.K. and the U.S. recently published a warning to their citizens that Russia and/or China or other hostiles want to infect your home and business routers and modems.
Why? So they can launch attacks against your police, first responders, defense forces and your critical infrastructure.
Therefore, I take it rather personally when people claim that they don’t care about online/network security. So, whatever I can do to assist you (within reason) to understand will be done.
’Nuff said.
  • Contact me privately and securely using Signal and your favorite messenger or email – https://keybase.io/encrypt#paulhemjr
  • My email: paulhem[at]paulhem[dot]com
  • On Signal app, I am, “Wildman.”
  • Confide app: Paul Hem
What do you think?

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