As technology continues to advance at a breakneck pace, new concerns about Internet privacy dominate the daily news cycle as well as alternative media. And, while our generation has grown up with the Internet, Twitter, smart phones and Facebook, as a group we seem to be less concerned by these warnings of privacy invasion. Our Government and businesses seem to monitor our every thought in order to protect us from the unknown and unseen “boogy man” or better position their products so we can’t live without them.
In my opinion, it is our generation that will blindly move forward assuming Internet anonymity while we continue to put our most private information into the public domain for all to see. Young women should become more informed in order to protect themselves from Internet and computer privacy intrusions. We think nothing of providing retailers, websites and apps with our email addresses, zip code and cell numbers because of the added convenience or to receive coupons, without giving any thought to the extensive data mining that we are undergoing on a daily basis.
Advertisers collect and store information from every contact that we have with their product, service over the Internet. They use it to position themselves to consumers; up the prices of desirable goods; and, know what advertisements will catch an individual’s attention.
In my research, I found a case where pharmaceutical companies teamed up to track consumers every move on their websites and then compared notes regarding the customers behavior. With so many e-commerce companies and lax security at even the larger box store retailers, hackers are selling customers bank and credit card account information that they download from a company’s database. Probably the most significant case of this type was the theft of customers’ data from Target during this past 2013 holiday season. But that’s just the beginning.
In addition to data theft, cyber criminals are stealing identities and in some cases using the Internet to conduct physical crimes as well. One case described a 20-year-old woman who was stalked and later murdered by a hacker accessing her every move on her computer (3). Another involved a young girl who had been being watched by a classmate because he had hacked into her web cam without the security light being triggered to indicate it was on (2).
That being said, there is a way to protect yourself from all of these situations. A new and exciting product is being released this year that offers complete and total invisibility from this type of privacy invasion. “iCloak” is a portable anonymity tool that enables you to browse anonymously and securely on any Windows, Linux or Mac computer. iCloak is a device that can be plugged into the USB port of any computer.
Once iCloak is plugged in and you reboot your computer you are completely off the grid. That means no one, not a hacker, not the person who lives below you, the University, or even the Government will not be able to see anything you do once iCloak is being used. This device can protect all documents created and all actions on the web including online shopping and online banking. It can even prevent someone from hacking your web cam.
As young collegiate women, it is important to protect ourselves from these dangers and it will become increasingly more important as we progress in life. Regardless of whether you access the web from public networks at a local coffee shop or in an airport, iCloak can keep your data secure. If you are in charge of a confidential project at work or if your boyfriend is a little too invasive or nosy, iCloak can protect you and your data.
With all of that being said, iCloak is not the solution it is part of the solution. By this I mean that simply using the device can not stop someone from accessing information already out in the digital world, or stalking you down if they really wanted to. iCloak gives you the option of being anonymous when desirable, such as while using online banking portals or visiting unfamiliar sites.While using this device you are unable to access any files that are on your hard drive, such as a previously saved filed. It is important to stay aware of your digital surroundings, and be mindful when giving out your information to any website you access.
iCloak is still in its developmental stages, but you can sign up to be a beta tester. This means you will be sent a free iCloak to use and eventually give feedback to the creators in order to make enhance the final product. The link to this website can be found at the bottom of this article. Additional products for purchase will be released soon – check back in a few weeks for more updates on this release.
Website: https://icloak.org/