[UPDATED 1/23/2021] I’ve removed the introduction to this list. If you’re not already convinced that privacy is a basic human right and that we (as consumers and as citizens) need to actively demonstrate our desire for privacy, read this. Here’s your action plan for Data Privacy Day. You can do all of this in a
I just read an entertaining and interesting story that was published about 16 years ago in Willamette Week, an indie newspaper in Portland, OR. This article was published shortly after 9/11 and the sweeping new government surveillance powers that came as a result. In particular, the article discussed a rather disturbing investigative technique used by
The holiday season is upon us, and that means people will be scrambling to find the best presents for their friends, family and loved ones. Geeky gadgets are always popular, but not just for the recipients! The Internet of Things (IoT) has been a major boon for hackers and marketers, as well. So let me
[Update 2019-04-07: While Quad9 is still a good option, you should check out Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 service which will come with a new free VPN service called Warp.] Evading malware can be difficult these days. The bad guys are very clever and surfing the Internet involves several complicated technologies. Software is rife with bugs and traps
Every application you install on your smartphone comes with a set of permissions – a list of things it would like to access. This includes things like your camera, microphone, location, contact list, photos, calendar and more. While these functions allow your apps to do amazing things, they can also compromise your privacy. These permissions
Full disclosure: I’m an Apple user and have been for decades. But one of the reasons I’ve been such an ardent Apple fan is that I’ve always felt like they had my back. I’m not sure how much of this is altruistic – but you can argue that the actual reasons might be more compelling
Somewhere along the line, corporations decided that they needed to tack licensing agreements (terms of service) onto just about every product produced. We’ve gotten to the point where we just ignore them and click “Agree” or rip off the little sticker that says something about “by removing this sticker you agree to…. ” blah, blah,
