Wellness Posts by JohnSileo

How to Hide Yourself on Facebook

2011-02-07T08:41:34Z

Wellness.com - How to Hide Yourself on Facebook by JohnSileo

What if I want to use Facebook to log in to other sites and to keep track of friends, but don't want to share my information the other direction?

In reality, it's difficult to just up and quit Facebook completely. You may want to use it like the proverbial fly on the wall that lets you watch what is going on in other people's lives without them seeing or commenting on what is going on in yours. You might use your Facebook login credentials to centralize access to other sites (e.g., log in to Twitter with your Facebook credentials). Or you may want to keep it open so that your username isn't made available to someone else.

So how do you drop off of the Facebook radar without completely closing your account? This video and the steps below are the closest approximation we've found to going underground.

1. First go to Facebook.com and log in to your profile. Click 'Account' in the top-right corner and then choose 'Privacy Settings.'

2. From the 'Privacy Settings' page, under "Connecting on Facebook" click 'View Settings' to see who can search for you, send messages to your account, see your education and work settings and more. Change all of these drop-down menus to 'Friends Only.' There is no option in this section to restrict the settings to 'Only Me' like there is in other areas.

3. Return to the 'Privacy Settings' page and choose 'Customize Settings' near the bottom of the page. This new page will load a number of different privacy options, but you'll want to click through each one and change the setting to 'Only Me' so that nobody else can see your Facebook activity.

4. While on the 'Customize Settings' page, scroll down to 'Things Others Share.' Here, you want to click Edit Settings and disable settings so that your friends are unable to write on your wall, comment on posts and check you in to places.

5. Return to the 'Privacy Settings' page and, under 'Apps and Websites' in the bottom-left corner, select 'Edit Your Settings.' This page shows all of the third-party websites and applications that you have given access to some of your Facebook information. If you see anything on this list that you want to remove, just click to remove it from the list.

6. Stay on the 'Apps and Websites' page, scroll down to 'Instant Personalization' and select 'Edit Settings.' Uncheck the box at the bottom of this page to block other websites from accessing your Facebook interests. Select 'Confirm' when a pop-up asks you if you're sure you want to disable this option.

7. Return to the 'Apps and Websites, page, scroll down to 'Public Search' and select 'Edit Settings.' To keep search engines from finding your Facebook profile, uncheck the box on this new screen.

- www.Sileo.com

5 Tips to Protect Your Privacy Online

2011-01-03T13:44:49Z

Wellness.com - 5 Tips to Protect Your Privacy Online by JohnSileo

Identity theft is all about control. Who has control over your personal and financial information? Is it you, or the criminal on the other end of your computer using your information to apply for a credit card? Losing control of your personal information can be all too easy online. But by taking some precautions, you can maintain privacy while safely surfing the internet.

-1. Adjust social-network privacy settings-

Facebook has been working to simplify their privacy settings, but they can still be confusing to the average users. Spend about 10 minutes a month making sure that your privacy settings are what they should be and are actually protecting your privacy.
To get there, log in to Facebook, in the top right of your screen it should say "Account" when you scroll over or click on that tab you can see you Privacy Settings. Click here for a step by step process of how to adjust your privacy settings.

Twitter, another popular social network, also lets you lock your account from public view. In settings, there's a feature called "protect my tweets." They have had breaches before, so it is always good to take every precaution you can to protect your information.

-2. Frequently Change Passwords-

It is good to rotate passwords on sites you use often. Especially sites that hold your financial information. Every 6 months or so you should change your passwords just in case someone has access to your online profile. A good way to keep track of these passwords is with a password keeper such as 1password. This way you can store your passwords to all sites in one place and use a master password to gain access.
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3. Opt-out of ad tracking-

Online ad networks often install a small file on the computers of people who visit certain websites. These so-called cookies can log your surfing habits, allowing advertisers to tailor ads to your interests.
If you are trying to keep some online privacy then you should opt out. In the settings panel of your web browser make sure that disable cookies from third party websites. Most advertising companies use this information to directly target you with ads of products that you use. They know what items you purchase because they see where you go on line and keep a record.

-4. Use a secure Internet Connection-

Don't browse private sites and look at personal or financial information while on a public wifi connection. Never shop online at your local coffee shop because you never know who may be spying on you with that very same open internet connection. If you are making an online purchase, looking at your online banking, emailing a personal story or photo, ONLY do so on a secure password protected internet connection.
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5. Think before you post-

While this may seem like an obvious suggestion, many people don't do it. Posting that you are at your local watering hole at 3pm on a Thursday after you called in sick could get you in more trouble than you planned on. Uploading an embarrassing photo of yourself may cost you a future job. I know of a company that didn't hire a candidate for a position because when they checked out her Facebook profile her status was "I just need a job - ANY Job!" That made her less appealing to hire than other candidates that were less vocal on their pages.

Use your brain. Posts are public, permanent and exploitable.

- www.Sileo.com

Holiday Financial Safety Tips

2010-12-13T17:22:24Z

Wellness.com - Holiday Financial Safety Tips by JohnSileo

The month between Thanksgiving and Christmas is the biggest shopping time of the year. As we enter the season of giving there is one thing we should be stingy with - protecting our Identities!

Holiday madness, crazed shoppers and packed malls. While we are bustling from store to store and internet site to internet site trying to complete everyone's holiday list, thieves and scammers are taking our distraction as a signal to strike. This is the easiest time of year for thieves to steal wallets, break into houses and profit financially from the season of giving without victims detecting it for a long time.

-Don't trust your email.- There are so many holiday scams by email that you should read everything with an enormous grain of salt. If someone is promising you something for nothing (free gift, free money, etc.), don't buy it.

-Protect your home. Your greatest risk during the busyness is all of the extra people that come into your home. It makes it very easy to pocket a check book that's on your desk or a brokerage statement in your filing cabinet. Especially during the holidays, lock it up!
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Use your credit card. Don't use checks and don't use a debit card, as they don't give you nearly as much protection.
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Carry less in your wallet.- It is too easy to steal a purse that is sitting at your feet as you pay or have lunch. The very best advice is to take your driver's license and one or two credit cards with you shopping.
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Watch your statements. Most forms of holiday identity theft can be caught simply by monitoring your checking, debit and credit card accounts frequently. Even better, sign up for automatic account alerts when any transaction occurs on your account.

-Monitor your credit reports.-

-Shop on secure websites. Make sure that both the https:// and lock symbols appear in your browser.

-Be cautious in public. Don't give your credit card number (or Social Security Number) over the phone if someone is within earshot. Shield your PIN number when entering it at an ATM or card swipe.

-Donate to known charities - and only when you have initiated the gift. Don't respond to phone calls for charity.

-Rotate your credit cards. After the busy holiday shopping season is over, call your credit card company and ask them to issue you a new card (you can tell them that you are concerned that your credit card number was stolen).

-Don't advertise travel plans to burglars on Social Networking sites.-

Distraction is the worst enemy when it comes to crime and the holidays. In addition to spending more money, we tend to be busier, more stressed-out and less careful than other times of the year. Identity thieves take advantage of this distraction to perform information extraction.

- www.Sileo.com

Protect Yourself on Cyber Monday

2010-11-29T08:51:11Z

Wellness.com - Protect Yourself on Cyber Monday by JohnSileo

Although most shoppers gear up and focus on Black Friday, Cyber Monday offers tons of hot deals to online shoppers. It began in 2005 and quickly became one of the biggest online shopping days of the year. On average, online shopping increases by 16 percent (worth more than $760 million dollars) on this one day alone!

Shoppers find the appeal in avoiding parking lots at malls, bustling stores and frantic holiday crowds. While it is very convenient, you can also be putting yourself at greater risk for identity theft and credit card fraud if you are not careful. In any situation there are steps you can take to protect yourself and make it easier to detect fraud if you become a victim. If you protect yourself, I feel that you are safer shopping online than in person (where about 15 percent of identity theft takes place).

Here are a few steps to take to protect yourself on Cyber Monday:

-Never Shop on a Public Wi-Fi Connection - Although you may trust the baristas at your local coffee shop, you can't always trust the person sitting next to you. Hackers can easily tap into Wi-Fi connections at public hot spots to steal your identity information. This can be especially dangerous when you are making purchases with your credit card on unsecured connections. Always wait until you are on a land line (Ethernet cable) at a location you trust - I recommend making purchases at home.
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Monitor Your Accounts - While you are doing a lot of shopping - online and in the store - it is good to keep an eye on your bank and credit card accounts. Match your receipts up to your statement to make sure that they are correct and there are no fraudulent charges. Keep an eye out for small charges, sometimes that is how crooks test to make sure they have a good card. For convenience, set up credit card account alerts that automatically email or text you every time you make a purchase. It makes detecting fraud a snap.
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Only Shop on Trusted Websites - Don't just let the search engine pick the site for you, make sure you are using a trusted and well-known website. Type in the direct web address for the stores you are familiar with, and don't shop on price alone.
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Read the Reviews - When shopping on Ebay or Amazon for gifts this season, read the reviews of the actual seller. While the site may be credited with security, purchasers may have had problems in the past that you want to know about before you buy from them. Only shop on Craigslist if you have extensive experience avoiding online fraud.

-Look for Signs They are Protecting Your Data - On the Web page where you enter your credit card or other personal information, look for an "s" after http in the Web address of that page and a secured padlock. Encryption is a security measure that scrambles data as it travels through the Internet.

-Keep Your Web Browser Updated - Internet Explorer 7 and 8 provide another layer of protection with Web sites that use Extended Validation (EV) Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Certificates. The address bar turns green and has both https and the closed padlock. Make sure that when your computer is asking you to update your software you don't ignore the requests.

Remember, the faster you detect Identity Theft the easier it is to clean it up. Always be aware of what is on your credit report and your bank statements, as crooks rely on our lackadaisical attitude to continue their crooked ways.

- www.Sileo.com

Fired Over Facebook

2010-11-22T08:45:48Z

Wellness.com - Fired Over Facebook by JohnSileo

After a ruling on a current legal battle, you just might lose your job over a Facebook post. In a ground-breaking case involving social media usage by employees, specifically Facebook, one woman is challenging the cause of being fired.

The National Labor Relations Board has brought a case against a Connecticut ambulance service, American Medical Response, for firing an employee after she used Facebook to vent her work frustrations. The employer accused the employee of violating their privacy policy by posting a disparaging remark that read, "love how the company allows a 17 to become a supervisor" - a 17 is the term they use for a psychiatric patient.

The Labor Regulations Board claims that the company's privacy policy is too broad and interferes with an individual's right to free speech. They believe that posting such a message on your Facebook is no different than gossiping with a co-worker around the water cooler. On the other hand, the company believes that these remarks are not protected under the law and were negative personal attacks on the supervisor. This suit could set a precedent for other cases involving termination due to social media. There is a lack of legislation in place to protect both employers and employees from open social media forums. Other cases have been cited, but none have set precedent.

Despite the outcome of this particular case, the practical implications in the workplace are clear: social networking sites will be used to police employee behavior, screen prospective hires, gather customer data, surfing habits and buying patterns and, as of now, to support civil and criminal litigation based on the content of your posts, pictures and profile.

Until you customize your privacy settings, utilize friend groups, exclude search engines, refuse friend requests from people who aren't actually your friends, and consciously monitor what you post, you can expect the volumes of data you produce on social networking sites to increase not only your human connections, but your information exposure as well.

- www.Sileo.com

Disabling GPS Tracking of Your Whereabouts

2010-11-04T18:45:08Z

Wellness.com - Disabling GPS Tracking of Your Whereabouts by JohnSileo

Geotags make it very easy for friends, relatives, bosses, spouses, parents, enemies, law enforcement, stalkers and thieves to know exactly where you are.

With the increased use of Internet-enabled mobile devices such as the Blackberry, Droid and iPhone, geotagging has seen a huge increase in popularity. When social media users take a picture or video and upload it to their page, they are probably transmitting far more data than they think. With the ability to quickly add GPS information to media, smartphones make geotagging a simple task.
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So What is Geotagging? -

Simply, geotagging is where location or geographical information, such as your GPS coordinates, are added and embedded to different types of media (.jpg, .mov files, etc.). Invisible to the naked eye and the casual observer, geotags are part of the meta-data, or underlying data about the data, that accompanies each file. Examples of meta-data include when the file was created or modified, by whom, using what device and software. This data is often loaded on to your computer along with the original file. Browser plug-ins and certain software programs can reveal the location information to anyone who wants to see it.

Twittervision makes great use of geotagging. Twittervision is a web mashup combining Twitter with Google Maps to create a real time display of tweets across a map. It also has a 3D mode that displays a globe of the Earth which spins to pinpoint arriving messages from Twitter.

-So, who would want to know where you are?->BR>
While most of the uses are not fully apparent yet, your real-time location can reveal your home address, work address, places you visit often and at what time of day. It can reveal if you go to the doctor, a lawyer, a court date, or any other type of private meeting. Geotags make it very easy for friends, relatives, bosses, spouses, parents, enemies, law enforcement, stalkers, and thieves to know exactly where you are.

Telling everyone on your Facebook status that you are out for the evening can invite burglars; geotagging can do the same without you updating your status in any way. By taking a picture at the Barry Manilow concert and uploading it to your twitter account, you are broadcasting the fact that you are probably over 40, away from home and, thanks to the geotag, exactly how far away you are.

If you've never seen Minority Report with Tom Cruise (where ads are served up to you on giant screens based on biometrics and your current location as you walk through the city ), it's worth your time. Of course the movie exaggerates reality, that is one of the hallmarks of science fiction. But it does so in order to make you think about the possibilities and future realities. And that is exactly what corporations are doing. Using geotags that you upload into social networks (photos, videos, check-ins), they can see that you enjoy Starbucks and live in a certain neighborhood, so they may purchase a billboard in the area or more likely, target an ad to you on your Facebook wall. Although this can seem harmless, it will eventually raise larger concerns on consumer privacy.

In this fast paced electronic world, more and more people are using smartphones and therefore we can expect an increased use of geotags in the future. The problem with geotagging is that since it is not visible to the naked eye, most people don't even realize they are sharing their location data. So what if you don't want to transmit your location data?

Keeping location data private can be difficult, but here are some places to start:

- Understand that anytime you take a picture, video or post an update from a networked device (somehow connected to the internet), your location is probably being appended to the file, even though it is hidden from you. As with all things technological, there are advantages and disadvantages to all features. Location based services also allow you to use ha

Facebook, Cigarettes and Information Addiction

2010-10-25T10:35:12Z

Wellness.com - Facebook, Cigarettes and Information Addiction by JohnSileo

Facebook is a cigarette, information is the nicotine, and you are the addict. And it is time to stop blaming Facebook if you get privacy cancer.

Years ago, after a long and drawn out fight, the tobacco industry was forced to put labels on their cigarette packs warning smokers that these nicotine delivery devices caused cancer, birth defects and premature death. The warnings did little to slow down sales of cigarettes, though they might have helped the tobacco companies avoid some costly lawsuits because, after all, they had clearly warned users about the dangers.

With the latest iteration of privacy settings being introduced this week on Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg (or more likely the brilliant Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg) has discovered a similar truth - you are either too addicted to the information drug, or too indifferent to the privacy consequences, to care.

I applaud Facebook for giving users more visibility and a bit more control over how much personal information third party applications can access. They deserve credit for moving the application controls into the privacy section of the website, acknowledging, albeit quietly, that third-party data-mining is a significant source of non-consensual information leakage.

If Facebook would go one step further and demand that third-party apps give us a choice of how much information is shared, along with letting us know how much of our personal information is being shared through the apps that our friends install, we information survivalists would be that much happier. For example, even if you don't allow your third-party apps to share personal information, your friends' third-party apps could be sharing it anyway. But as it stands now, we would never know it.

The good news for Facebook privacy doesn't end there. Facebook has also redesigned the Groups feature, which theoretically gives you a greater level of control over subsets of friends and how much information they can access. For example, you could choose to share your vacation pictures with family and close friends, but not with co-workers who thought you were out sick. Dishonesty aside, group differentiation makes communication within your social network much more like that of the real world - acknowledging that you don't share all things with all people equally.

Here's where the news gets really good for Facebook - they have done their job (or at least have taken steps in the right privacy direction), and they can still bank on you ignoring the very controls they have given you! Sure, those of us who write about social networking professionally will make the changes, but ninety-nine percent of the people who read this article will do nothing with the knowledge. This claim isn't grounded in bitter cynicism, but statistical fact. I hope that 500 million of you will prove me wrong. When the Facebook changes are live for everyone (they are in beta as I type), we'll put up a new video showing you how to make them.

Granted, Facebook hasn't done everything they should do to make THEIR use of OUR data completely transparent to US; but most of US have done nothing to utilize the tools THEY already built to protect OUR privacy anyway, so the point is mute. Facebook is banking billions on our indifference and inaction.

Facebook executives should roll this strategy out to its logical conclusion: give all of us privacy professionals (the Electronic Frontier Foundation, EPIC, the World Privacy Forum, me) exactly what we want, because your Facebook addicts are already too high on info-voyerism to kick the habit. Your product is too good and too necessary to too many people to be hindered by a bit more transparency and a little more control. You have nothing to lose but our complaints.

- www.Sileo.com

College-Bound Students are Vulnerable Targets for Identity Theft

2010-09-20T18:21:21Z

Wellness.com - College-Bound Students are Vulnerable Targets for Identity Theft by JohnSileo

Students heading to college and young adults living away from their parents' home for the first time are particularly vulnerable to Identity Theft. In a 2010 survey, Javelin Strategy and Research found that young adults, aged 18-24, take the longest to detect identity theft - 132 days on average - when compared to other age groups.
College-bound students should take the following steps to fight identity theft:

1. School mailboxes can be easily tampered with and are not always safe. Instead of having sensitive (bank, legal, personal) documents sent to your apartment or dorm room, have them sent to a permanent address (your parents' home or the post office) or sent requiring your signature.

2. Invest in a fire-proof lock box to store all your important documents. This can be vital when you are sharing a living space and can't control everyone that comes and goes. You should lock up your Social Security card, passport and bank and credit card statements. Shred any important financial documents that come in the mail and never leave any sensitive mail lying out.

3. Never answer a friend-in-distress message on email or Facebook. Most likely if a friend is desperate for money, they'll call you directly rather than contact you online - 99% of the time these are Nigerian scams. Also, never click on an unidentified link that a friend has posted. Check to be sure what you are clicking on is not a virus.

4. Always check your credit or debit card statements closely for any suspicious activity. The sooner you identify any potential fraud, the less you'll suffer in the long run. Also, always say NO to loaning anyone your credit or debit card. You never know if it will end up in the hands of an Identity Thief.

5. Make sure your computer has up-to-date anti-virus and spyware software. Always install any updates and patches to your computer's operating system or browser software. They will help keep your computer safe from any new advances by on-line identity thieves.
6. When shopping on unfamiliar websites, always check out the company first. Click on their trust seals to confirm they are legitimate. Make sure they are a secure site encrypted using SSL.

7. Check your credit report three times a year with all three reporting bureaus for any suspicious activity or inaccuracies. You can do this at no expense by visiting the website www.annualcreditreport.com. Order your report from just one Credit Bureau the first time and then 4 months later from the second bureau and 4 months after that from the third bureau.

Although no one is completely immune to identity theft, college-bound students are significantly more vulnerable. Following these steps will lower the likeliness that Identity Theft will happen to you or your child.

- www.Sileo.com

Abuses of Facebook Places and FourSquare

2010-09-13T08:41:37Z

Wellness.com - Abuses of Facebook Places and FourSquare by JohnSileo

Facebook recently added a check-in or location-sharing feature, much like the one provided by FourSquare.com. The feature is designed to accomplish three main tasks:

Help people share where they are in a social context

See which friends are near by

Discover nearby places and new places through friends' profiles

But, by default, it also allows your friends to tag and publicize your location for you. It's like being tagged in a photo, except the other person gets to share your location instead of your picture (even if you don't want others to know where you are, and even if you are not there).

Here are some of the rarely discussed ways that Facebook Places will be used (now or in the future) that you might want to think about before checking in:

- Facebook will sell (share) your current location and profile to stores in your vicinity so that they can server you hyper-targeted advertising (e.g., here's a coupon for the store you are about to enter).

- Friends who aren't actually your friends will be able to check you in to questionable Places even when you are not there (the practical jokes for the Check Friends In feature are limitless)

- Facebook will compile and analyze your Places and then sell this profile to companies that would like to have you as a customer. If you "check in" frequently while in casinos, get ready for a healthy dose of advertising from Bally's.

- Thieves will track your location to know the best time to rob your home. It happens every day.

- Your suspicious spouse or boss will have a handy tool to track your whereabouts when you'd rather keep it private (this could actually be seen as a positive use of Places).

- The police will be able to subpoena records of your location at the time of a crime (again, if you have done nothing wrong and can prove it, this is a great way for law enforcement to establish location).

The solution isn't to completely avoid all use of places. It's to customize your Facebook Places Privacy Settings so that you are in control of the flow of data.

- www.ThinkLikeaSpy.com

Big Brother Lives in Your Browser

2010-08-24T10:59:26Z

Wellness.com - Big Brother Lives in Your Browser by JohnSileo

The world is spying on you, and you don't really even know it. A recent investigation by the Wall Street Journal concludes that spying on consumers in order to sell their data is one of the fastest-growing internet businesses. Here is a summary of the most striking findings:

"The Study found that the nation's 50 top websites on average installed 64 pieces of tracking technology onto the computers of visitors, usually with no warning... the Journal found new tools that scan in real time what people are doing on a Web page, then instantly assess location, income, shopping interests and even medical conditions. These profiles of individuals, constantly refreshed, are bought and sold on stock-market like exchanges."

The tracking software records and analyzes your browsing patterns. It knows if you're surfing porn sites, researching bipolar disorder or watching teen movie trailers. With startling accuracy, it interprets these patterns and sells the information to websites, sometimes within seconds, that want access to your wallet. What's the big deal, you ask? Why not let them market to us in highly targeted ways?

That seems reasonable, within limits. We are all slowly being boiled like frogs. This month, Big Brother knows which movies I "Like," what keywords I typed into Google and what books I checked out at the library. Next month they'll attach our name, address and credit profile to the database so that they can instantly evaluate whether I should be their customer. Because they erode our privacy over time, we don't notice that we're being boiled alive!

According to the Journal, if the tracking software estimates that you are a low income individual, you will likely be shown a higher interest rate credit card when you visit the Capital One website. If you've been researching bipolar disorder on Dictionary.com (which downloads 234 tracking programs onto your computer without alerting you), the next insurance website you visit might no longer have a policy that fits you. In another example listed in the article, banks are beginning to consider looking at the credit worthiness of your social networking friends to determine your credit worthiness.

We can't just blame this on the businesses that want to market to us. They exist to make money and strive to advertise to us in the best way possible. But we don't have to just sit around and give away all of our precious information.

I recommend these steps to keep ourselves out of the hot water, including:

Delete the cache of tracking cookies on your computer that share information without your consent

Customize the privacy settings in your browser to minimize information leakage and to regularly delete tracking software like cookies

Use the "Private Browsing" feature in Safari, Firefox and IE when you don't want your browsing history stored on your computer

Lock down your social networking profiles so that marketing companies can't skim your personal information

Consider using anonymizing software like the Tor Project, Abine or Better Privacy

Understand that when you are on the Internet, you are being tracked, and surf accordingly

www.ThinkLikeaSpy.com