One You Blog

Facebook to Change Privacy Policy

Facebook users be aware. Soon, your settings will be changes. Unlike previous attempts, which have been based on maxamizing the ad revenue, these changes are designed to protect your privacy.

The change, no more regional networks. Why? Well, noone says it as well as Tom.

“However, as Facebook has grown, some of these regional networks now have millions of members and we’ve concluded that this is no longer the best way for you to control your privacy. Almost 50 percent of all Facebook users are members of regional networks, so this is an important issue for us. If we can build a better system, then more than 100 million people will have even more control of their information.

The plan we’ve come up with is to remove regional networks completely and create a simpler model for privacy control where you can set content to be available to only your friends, friends of your friends, or everyone.”

So, do not be shocked when the network dissapears. Keep your eyes peeled. This time at least, their changes seem to have been for the good of end users.

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What A Job Ad Should Never Ask You For!

With identity theft on the rise and a large new vulnerable population (the unemployed) emerging there seems to be no end to job related scams.  In order to help you keep safe while you search let’s look at the list of things a job ad will never as you for:

1. A Social Security number.  It may be a legit request when you get to the background check but not right away.
2. Your bank information.  Unless you have already been hired, and are filling out the payroll deduction forms this is not their business.
3. A credit card number.  You shouldn’t have to give this out, or buy anything to obtain work.
4. Personal data about those close to you.Can we say pyramid scheme?

Safe and happy job searching!

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Personal Information on Your Blog: A Solution

Earlier this week, we looked at the potentially devastating impact of posting too much information on your blog. Today, we are going to look at some ways to keep your posts authentic, but safe.

1. Only use first names. There are a lot of John’s (or even Maurice’s) in any given area.
2. Practice grieving. This is something usually done by TV shows that do not want to be tied to one brand. Just use a term like “cell phone corner” or “Bank” instead of a proper name. Alternately you can use “*****” if you want.
3. Talk in generic terms. You can still rant about Trenton’s new property tax without mentioning you live there.

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Background Checks and Your Social Networking Profiles

The City of Bozeman, Montana, if you apply for a job with them, then you will have to give them your social networking log on’s and passwords.

They are calling this part of their background check process. The only problem is that a person giving out thier user name and password are not only giving out access to their information, but to all of their friends information.

If you have a friend who is applying for, or work for, the City of Bozeman, then you may want to take them off of your friends list. This kind of invasion of privacy, by a government agency, is amazingly bad.

The best defense that the city has, from an article in Montana News Station, was this,” No one has ever removed his or her name from consideration for a job due to the request.” given by Greg Sullivan, the city attorney.

That seems like a very poor excuse. Its not a shock that in some of the worst economic times since the depression that people will do just about anything for a job. It is also conceivable that people who are offended simply do not finish the application. This is one of the worst possible ways to exploit your potential work force.

Shame on The City of Bozeman, Montana.

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Online Banking: Keep Your Information Safe

Wooden Piggy bank

You do not have to look far to find the benefits of online banking. At the same time, the potential drawbacks, including identity theft, are right in front of your face as well. You shouldn’t shy away from online banking because of what could happen. Instead, knowing what is lurking and how to avoid potential issues should be in the front of your mind.

With online banking you can access all of your information via the internet. This includes everything from your bank account number to your routing number to your credit card account and much more. This is quite convenient for you, but unfortunately, criminals are well aware of this as well.

To avoid identity theft through your online banking account is important to do two things: 1. Keep all of your login information in a safe place. Never share these details with anybody. 2. Only access your account from a trusted computer. A computer with spyware could lead to your identity (and money) being stolen in no time at all.

You don’t want to avoid online banking because of the many criminals who are lurking and hoping to take advantage of a weak point. Use online banking when need be, but make sure you always keep your financial and personal information 100 percent safe at all times.

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Is It OK to Lie Online?

Liar pants on fire pin

Some privacy and security experts suggest that in order to keep your information secret that you should lie on website registration forms.  That way, if the site gets breached your real information won’t get stolen.

Obviously, this strategy won’t work for everything.  If you lie on a site like Paypal, you may never see your cash.  On other sites you won’t have much of a problem at all, but before you lie lets take a look at some of your other options:

1. Don’t register at all.  If you are using a site that has a non-registration option then use it.  There is no shame in logging on as a guest.
2. Use a group log on.  There a few sites that has these types of listings.
3. Try leaving the field blank.  It may not be mandatory.

Give it a try the next time that you need to register on a site.

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IMer Beware

Warning Symbol

Did you ever have a friend of a friend email you?  What about IM?  Technology has given us all a great way to meet new people.  It has also given scammers a great way to get your information.  Just look at this conversation:

SaraSlane84: Hi!

TinMan: Hi?

S: It’s Sara, Maries friend.  We met a few weeks ago at that party.

T: Oh yeah.  How are you?

S: Great!  You?

T: Good.  Just got in.

S: Go anywhere fun?

T: Just the movies.

S: You must have a lot of options.

T: Huh.

S: You live in LA, don’t you?

T: No, Brentwood.

S: Oh, sorry.  Details are a bit fuzzy.  Over tired from job searching all night.

T: Know how you feel.  It’s hard to get work even in sales.

S: What do you sell?

T: Pharmaceuticals.

S: Does that mean you have to talk to doctors all day?  Must be so intimidating.  You must know a lot about medicine.

T: Not really, but I took a few chem. Classes when I was at Brown.  That was enough I guess.

Seems innocuous enough, but in the course of that conversation Tim gave out a whole lot of information, while Sara gave almost none.  Without hesitation Tim told us:

1. The town he lives in.
2. What his job is/ and the industry.
3. Where he went to college.

It may not seem like much but a person interested in using this to steal your identity could use it as a spring board to get your address and phone number after a few more conversations, and some more innocuous details (like your employers name and your age).  That person is ready to take out a credit card in your name.

The moral of the story: Know who you are talking to, or keep it to generic topics.

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Protecting Your Privacy on Social Networks

Facebook Mat

When you sign up for a social networking site you are probably thinking about hooking up with old friends, not about your privacy.  The thing is that you need to worry about it, because the companies who run these sites may share your information.  Even if they do not share, on some sites can simply make that information available by way of any search engine.  Depending on what information that you give out the results can range from mere annoyance to outright theft of your private information.  So how do you decide how much information to put on a social networking site.

1. Figure out how much information is displayed on the public profile that anyone who finds you on a search engine or for people who are not on your friends list.
2. Get access, if you can, to an existing account and find out how much information is shown.  You may not want your co-workers to see your home address.

These are your two primary areas of voluntary information dispersal.  Your next job is to read over the terms of service (TOS) on the site.  Look for both conspicuous language about sharing information with select partners’ and less obvious phrases like, “Reserved rights to user data transfers”.  This usually means marketing, but should give you pause.  Those terms are broad enough to encompass anything.

Information you should never post:

* Full home address
* Social security number
* Bank names or account types/numbers
* Earnings or debts
* Professional license numbers

There it is, your brief guide to what (and what not) to put on social networking sites.

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Reading The Terms of Service

Magnifying Glass

When you sign up for an account on a site do you really read the terms of service?  If so then you are in the minority.  Most people breeze by it without any, thought and just click on “accept”.  Now as a realistic person, living in the real world, I know you aren’t going to comb them.  At least not all of them.  That’s why we are going to take a look at some of the essential sections that you at least need to skim.

Content ownership rights: You probably don’t want to assign copyright to the site of anything you write or post.  Be doubly aware of terms that allow for alteration of your content.

Partner companies or any information sharing sections: Be very wary of any section that allows sites to share information without restrictions.  Look for an opt out section and note that information.

Terms changes sections: Most contracts allow for terms to be changed at will.  A good contract should let you know that you will be notified of those changes.

Any sections regarding fees: Obviously this one only applies to paid sites, but you will want to be aware of hidden (or automatic) fees.

See, four sections isn’t that bad.  It shouldn’t take you more than 5 minutes.  Not bad when you consider that it will protect your privacy and your wallet.

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Welcome To The One You Security Blog

Thanks for coming by. One You Security is a company that helps people protect their own and their family’s identity. In today’s information age, privacy and identity are complex subjects and that’s what we’ll be exploring here.

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