Five Unpleasant Truths About the Use of New Technologies

In an age where individuals are surrounded by technology, many people do not pay attention to the unpleasant truths and facts related to the technologies they use, while an even larger number are actually unaware of them. For those who do care about their privacy, here is a selection of five unpleasant truths about everyday technology and solutions on how to deal with them.

Prepared by: Vanja Figenwald

For instance, private browsing, an option offered by all relevant internet browsers, such as Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Chrome, is very convenient for anyone who wants to prevent other users of a computer from seeing where they have been and what they have done, but in a broader spectrum, it does not help at all in achieving anonymity on the internet. Anyone who wishes to record a user’s IP address can do so without any problems, regardless of the mode in which the user is browsing the internet. Moreover, internet service providers can track and record everything a user does online, and how long they keep that data varies from operator to operator. Solution: If you really want to browse anonymously, use a proxy service like Anonymiz-er or Tor.

Another very common example is the internet giant Google. What this company knows about you depends on how much you trust their services. The information that Google can collect and store may include the pages you have visited, the searches you have made, the maps you have viewed, your contacts and calendar, email messages, chat history, etc. Authorities, with a court order, can access any of that data, but another problem is the possibility of identity theft through Google, where your only shield is your username and password. Those who breach this can freely use all other Google services and easily take over your identity. Solution: Use Google Dashboard to see exactly what information you are sharing and adjust your settings according to your fear of the government and online villains. Strengthen your password and change it frequently, and in case your account is hacked or stolen, it is possible to recover it through Google’s account recovery service. Additionally, it is not a bad idea to reduce risk by using several different providers of such services.

The next unpleasant truth is that security software is not as secure as people think. Experts say that antivirus software and other forms of software protection actually only ‘catch’ the smaller threats. An increasing number of bugs and holes at the initial release of software into circulation, combined with the slow response of manufacturers and service providers, means that even the best and most updated security programs lag behind online villains. Solution: You simply cannot do without security software, but it is advisable to take additional steps for protection, such as storing data on encrypted disks and installing VMware or similar software that allows the creation of virtual machines and discarding them if they become infected.

Communication via webcams has recently become extremely popular, but it is also very insecure. There are countless cases where a webcam is activated remotely without the owner’s knowledge or permission. Like almost everything in the world of information technology, taking control of someone’s camera is quite an easy task for someone who knows what they are doing, but fortunately, the solution is simple. Solution: If you have an external camera, unplug it when you are not using it. If it is built-in, which is common with laptops, simply cover the lens.

Probably the most important fact that all tech-savvy individuals should keep in mind is that ‘the internet never forgets.’ An embarrassment on the street or generally in real life can easily, and relatively quickly, be forgotten, but with the internet, the story is somewhat different. Things you have written in emails, posted on social media, or done on camera can remain forever recorded somewhere and haunt you for the rest of your life. Indeed, by moving large amounts of data from users’ hard drives to the internet cloud, that is, to servers somewhere far away, the user has lost the ability to control them. Solution: Very interesting, resembling spy parodies. Software named Vanish embeds a self-destruct mechanism into the data. Although the software is still in the testing phase, it is possible to download an open-source Firefox plug-in from the internet.

Of course, this is just a small part of the truths about technology, but it is indicative enough for anyone who cares more about their privacy in the technological age. On the other hand, such exposure to technology means that a person, despite possible precautions, can never actually be fully protected from abuse. Nevertheless, being cautious can help reduce discomfort and danger.