How to
Protect your Privacy
Do not reveal personal information inadvertently
You may be "shedding" personal details, including e-mail addresses and other contact information, without even knowing it unless you properly configure your Web browser. When visiting a site you trust you can choose to give them your info, in forms on their site; there is no need for your browser to potentially make this information available to all comers. Households with children may have an additional "security problem" - have you set clear rules for your kids, so that they know not to reveal personal information unless you OK it on a site-by-site basis?
Turn on cookie notices in your Web browser, and/or use cookie management software or infomediaries
"Cookies" are tidbits of information that Web sites store on your computer, temporarily or more-or-less permanently. In many cases cookies are useful and inocuous. They may be passwords and user IDs, so that you do not have to keep retyping them every time you load a new page at the site that issued the cookie. Other cookies however, can be used for "data mining" purposes, to track your motions through a Web site, the time you spend there, what links you click on and other details that the company wants to record, usually for marketing purposes. Most cookies can only be read by the party that created them. However, some companies that manage online banner advertising are, in essence, cookie sharing rings. They can track which pages you load, which ads you click on, etc., and share this information with all of their client Web sites (who may number in the hundreds, even thousands)
Keep a "clean" e-mail address
When mailing to unknown parties; posting to newsgroups, mailing lists, chat rooms and other public spaces on the Net; or publishing a Web page that mentions your e-mail address, it is best to do this from a "side" account, some pseudonymous or simply alternate address, and to use your main or preferred address only on small, members-only lists and with known, trusted individuals. Addresses that are posted (even as part of message headers) in public spaces can be easily discovered by spammers (online junk mailers) and added to their list of targets.
Use encryption!
There are other privacy threats besides abusive marketers, nosy bosses, spammers and scammers. Some of the threats include industrial espionage, government surveillance, identity theft, disgruntled former associates, and system crackers. To protect against these you need data encryption software. Good encryption uses very robust secret codes, that are difficult if not impossible to crack, to protect your data.
YOU decide what information about yourself to reveal, when, why, and to whom
Don't give out personally-identifiable information too easily. Just as you might think twice about giving some clerk at the mall your home address and phone number, keep in mind that simply because a site asks for or demands personal information from you does not mean you have to give it. You do have to give accurate billing information if you are buying something, of course, but if you are registering with a free site that is a little too nosy for you, there is no law (in most places) against providing them with pseudonymous information.
Examine privacy policies and seals
When you are considering whether or not to do business with a Web site, there are other factors than a secure connection you have to consider that are equally important to Web security. Does the site provide offline contact information, including a postal address? Does the site have a prominently-posted privacy policy? If so, what does it say? (Just because they call it a "privacy policy" doesn't mean it will protect you - read it for yourself. Many are little more than disclaimers saying that you have no privacy! So read them carefully.) If the policy sounds OK to you, do you have a reason to believe it? Have you ever heard of this company? What is their reputation? And are they backing up their privacy statement with a seal program such as TRUSTe or BBBonline.
Realize you may be monitored at work, avoid sending highly personal e-mail to mailing lists, and keep sensitive files on your home computer
In most US states and many if not most countries, employees have little if any privacy protection from monitoring by employers. When discussing sensitive matters in e-mail or other online media, be certain with whom you are communicating. If you replied to a mailing list post, check the headers - is your reply going to the person you think it is, or to the whole list? Also be aware that an increasing number of employers are monitoring and recording employee Web usage, as well as e-mail (eg. KeyLoggers). This could compromise home banking passwords and other sensitive information. Keep private data and private Net usage private, at home.