IMOW: The Need to be Anonymous Onlne

-
If you have among the 5 readers who has been taking time to read articles from this site, you may notice that I have been discussing Personal Technology Security and I have been concentrating a lot on personal data privacy.  This is because most of the online scams I have encountered in the practice of my profession stems from either the careless handling or the (un)intentional leakage of personal information.

Anonymus, Revolution, Guy Fawkes, Mask, V For Vendetta

But there is an aspect in Personal Technology Security that is just as important but is often overlooked, even ignored.  I am talking about Online Anonymity.  Internet technology is now so advanced that it can now track the activities of each individual online -- what one purchases, searches for, reads, and even writes in emails/message boards. Majority of people would dismiss the concept of anonymity outright because apparently "they have nothing to hide".  These people cannot be more wrong in their assumption.

Let me put it this way: Have you ever searched for something at Lazada and then proceeded to browse your newsfeed at Facebook?  Notice how Facebook will show advertisements for the very thing you were searching for at Lazada previously.  Now move on to read news on your favorite local news source (Inquirer, Philippine Star, etc) and sooner of later, you will also find exactly what you were browsing for in Lazada!  Magic? I don't think so.

Now imagine this second scenario: You stumble upon a website that contains anti-government propaganda on the internet.  Spent a few minutes on the site and decided that it is not worth your time and moved on to your usual online habits.  Hours later, police or military personnel is knocking on your door and tagged you as an activist and "invites" you for interrogation.  Sounds far-fetched?  It can be done and is being done right at this moment in China and other authoritarian countries.

That is all possible because of the modern user tracking technology that is in place in almost all popular (and also notorious) websites on the internet.  Each time you visit a website, your computer browser leaves enough traces of metadata that allows the visited website to track you as an individual right to your own doorstep. Scary right?

Now, do you still think that you have "nothing to hide" when surfing the web?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

GCash Security Scare: Rethinking the Safety of Digital Wallets

-
Image
A few days ago, many people woke up to find unauthorized transactions in their GCash mobile wallets. These transactions, which occurred at a rate of Php 2,000 per transaction, even affected a local actress, drawing widespread attention. While the technical cause of these unauthorized transactions remains a mystery, I believe it’s crucial to address the underlying issue: GCash, and other mobile wallet applications in general, are essentially digital versions of physical wallets. Storing money in wallets, whether virtual or physical, inherently carries risks, with theft being the most significant concern. Physical wallets have been the target of various theft methods, and this raises the question: why do individuals, regardless of whether they use digital or physical wallets, keep a substantial amount of money in their wallets? Wouldn’t it be safer to deposit these funds in a bank or keep them securely at home? While this doesn’t absolve GCash of responsibility, it’s important to recogni...
Read more

When Malware is Digitally Signed by an Anti-Malware Company

-
Image
  In October 2024, a sneaky malware campaign started spreading. The threat actors used a message that looked like it came from the Israeli partner of ESET, a well-known anti-malware company. They targeted Israeli businesses and educational institutions. But here’s the catch: the message didn’t show any signs of having malicious content. Analysts who initially checked out the email thought there was nothing fishy about it. The email warns recipients that their company is being targeted by “state-sponsored threat actors.” It suggests downloading and installing the “ESET Unleashed” app to protect against this threat. The email’s link seems legitimate, pointing to a valid ESET server. The file on the download link contains an executable file (Setup.exe) and four DLL files. Upon closer inspection, it turns out that the DLL files are part of ESET’s anti-virus software, but the EXE file is actually a malicious data wiper but it was digitally signed by ESET. This malware has an interesting...
Read more

Tech Party List, A Satirical List

-
Image
  **WARNING:** This post is not intended for individuals who are easily offended. Should you find satirical content objectionable, please leave this page immediately. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. With the Philippine elections coming very soon, One of the most colorful part this national exercise is the proliferation of Party Lists that have a great name recall. In the Philippines, the party-list system is a mechanism of proportional representation in the election of representatives to the House of Representatives. This system allows national, regional, and sectoral parties or organizations to gain seats in the House based on the proportion of votes they receive. The goal of the party-list system is to ensure that marginalized and underrepresented sectors of society have a voice in the legislative process. Each party-list group represents specific sectors such as labor, farmers, women, youth, indigenous peoples, and other marginalized groups. Voters can choose a party-list group during el...
Read more