Privacy Issues

In today’s computer-oriented society, privacy issues are of my greatest concern. People enter personal information online each day for different types of things, such as, an online purchase using a credit card, or by simply updating their statuses on Facebook. Though most businesses keep to their privacy policy, those who do not enforce such policies share personal information with others.
I believe that most information posted on the internet is likely to be viewed by those that you are unaware of. Though Facebook and Myspace have privacy settings that disable “strangers,” from viewing your information (pictures, blogs, etc.), somehow, somewhere there is a person who can hack into your account and view your information. I do not understand why so many people put personal data online for others to see. In most instances, I could log on to my Facebook account and choose any one of my friends at random, and just by looking at their page, I could most likely tell you where they are from, or where they live, the high school or college they attend(ed), and where they may work. I can also see pictures of him or her, his or her friends, and any personal blogs he or she may include to identify their self. If I can access such information within just a few minutes, people who spend hours hacking into other computers are capable of doing just the same.
Aside from the common means of online communication, those who give their credit card numbers online are also at a bit of a risk. If the business shares their information with other businesses, then your credit card number is likely to be viewed by others. Often times, people can access information outside of the internet just by providing a credit card number. Therefore, whatever is posted online can also lead to identity theft outside of the World Wide Web. The same types of problems occur when people give their social security number online.
Though there are many different factors that attribute to online risks, I feel that privacy is definitely the most important because it can lead to identity theft which could lead to bigger problems. Therefore, I put as little information about myself on the internet as I possibly can, and I rarely make online purchases. It is not that I do not trust the internet at all, I just take big precautions.