Protecting yourself online
As more economies continue to be driven by information, success will not be defined by who has the highest net worth. Rather, success will largely depend on how well individuals and companies use, manage and protect their information, both offline and online. Consumers should be aware of the dangers present in the online world: viruses, privacy threats, hackers and so on. There are tools, in addition to antivirus software, that users should install to minimize potential online threats and the information trail that often accompanies online transactions. You can visit the Home PC Firewall Guide at, http://www.firewallguide.com, for a list of software in categories such as anti-spyware, anti-phishing and personal firewalls. You should have a tool or combination of tools, which you regularly update, that protects you from various threats.
When consumers provide information to an organization they expect that the information collected will be used solely for the purpose of providing the service requested. Unfortunately, current practices, in both the offline and online world, has long shattered this expectation of privacy. Information generated during transactions are often used without the consumer’s knowledge or consent for a variety of other purposes. Some companies even go as far as to insist that the information consumers provide them with is now “company property”. There are several examples where companies use and disclose personal information for purposes well beyond what the individual intended. If we do not take active measures to protect our personal information, we could have just as well left a bag of cash on the ground. That is how information should be thought of in the 21st century, as currency.
The Internet presents this generation with unique opportunities as well as challenges. As the Director of Information at Coca Cola said, “We have got to get people to recognize, from an awareness perspective, what the dangers of the online world are.” If people fail to recognize these dangers, they will never become responsible users of information with any degree of competence. That in itself would be devastating to any economy where information is increasingly becoming one of the greatest assets. Second only to its people of course.
When consumers provide information to an organization they expect that the information collected will be used solely for the purpose of providing the service requested. Unfortunately, current practices, in both the offline and online world, has long shattered this expectation of privacy. Information generated during transactions are often used without the consumer’s knowledge or consent for a variety of other purposes. Some companies even go as far as to insist that the information consumers provide them with is now “company property”. There are several examples where companies use and disclose personal information for purposes well beyond what the individual intended. If we do not take active measures to protect our personal information, we could have just as well left a bag of cash on the ground. That is how information should be thought of in the 21st century, as currency.
The Internet presents this generation with unique opportunities as well as challenges. As the Director of Information at Coca Cola said, “We have got to get people to recognize, from an awareness perspective, what the dangers of the online world are.” If people fail to recognize these dangers, they will never become responsible users of information with any degree of competence. That in itself would be devastating to any economy where information is increasingly becoming one of the greatest assets. Second only to its people of course.
