What is the Privacy Act?

The Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a) is a code of fair information practices which mandates how federal agencies, such as the EPA, maintain records about individuals. The Privacy Act requires that agencies:
collect only information that is relevant and necessary to carry out an agency function;
maintain no secret records on individuals;
explain at the time the information is being collected, why it is needed and how it will be used;
ensure that the records are used only for the reasons given, or seek the person's permission when another purpose for the record's use is considered necessary or desirable;
provide adequate safeguards to protect the records from unauthorized access and disclosure; and
allow people to see the records kept on them and provide them with the opportunity to correct inaccuracies in their records. The Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a) governs the collection, maintenance, use and disclosure of information about individuals by Federal agencies. Its purpose is to balance the Government's need to maintain personal information on individuals with the individual's right to be free from unwarranted invasions of personal privacy resulting from Government's use of such information.
The Privacy Act has three basic policy objectives:
to limit disclosure of information about individuals,
to grant individuals the right to access and amend records about themselves, and
to establish fair information practices regarding the collection, maintenance, and disclosure of records.
The Act, implementing regulations, and applicable Federal Register notices set forth procedures for achieving these goals which must be strictly followed by Agency personnel.



Information from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Website: http://www.epa.gov/privacy/faqs/index.htm#q1

FTC's Tips for Parents

Parents Should:

• Look for a privacy policy on any website directed to children. The policy must be available through a link on the website's homepage and at each area where personal information is collected from kids. Websites for general audiences that have a children's section must post the notice on the homepages of the section for kids.
• Read the policy closely to learn the kinds of personal information being collected, how it will be used, and whether it will be passed on to third parties. If you find a website that doesn't post basic protections for children's personal information, ask for details about their information collection practices.
• Decide whether to give consent. Giving consent authorizes the website to collect personal information from your child. You can give consent and still say no to having your child's information passed along to a third party.
  Your consent isn't necessary if the website is collecting your child's email address simply to respond to a one-time request for information.
• Decide whether to approve information collection from your kids based on new uses for the information. Website operators will let you know about the need for new consent by sending you a new notice and request. They will do this when they are changing the terms-of-use of the information in a "material" or significant way.
• Ask to see the information your child has submitted. The site will ask you to verify your identity to ensure that your child's information isn't given out improperly.
• Understand that you may revoke your consent at any time and have your child's information deleted. To stop a website from collecting additional information from your child, you can revoke your consent. You also may ask a site to delete any personal information it has already collected from your child.

From: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/kidzprivacy/adults.htm

Personal Privacy Defined

Computer users consistently list privacy online as one of their top concerns about Internet use. So, what exactly is privacy? Merriam-Webster online defines privacy as "freedom from unauthorized intrusion" (http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/privacy). That definition certainly hits the mark of what a computer user expects from his 0r her time online. No one allowed into personal files, no one allowed to view surfing history and no one allowed access to any personal information. The truth is, there are people out their racking their brains on how to tap in to all that information mentioned. Some people make a career out of exploiting you. The best way to enjoy and utilize the Internet while still maintaining privacy is to install software that is specialized to protect you. We like Norton 360. Head over to CFR's personal privacy section and see why.

Can I really "erase" data?

Computer data and files are made up of numbers. Strings of 1's and 0's. To derive meaning from the digits you must organize them into patterns. Once your computer arranges the numbers into patterns, voila- you have your files. When the strings of numbers at the beginning of the sequence are scrambled, or randomized, the whole thing- be it a picture, email or website, the whole file is rendered invisible. Once the "deleted" or invisible file is erased, the computer sees the space where the file has been as blank. Then, new files and applications can be placed upon its old spot. As more and more 1's and 0's pile up over the grave site of the old file, eventually the file is erased. Sometimes the erasure does not completely occur because the "overwriting" process occurs at random. If any portion of the deleted file is not written over, that file can be recovered. If you think about this, then, when you sell off your old system, much of your data that has been "erased" may still be accessed.

Who is behind identity theft and cybercrime?

It is crucial to protect your identity, account numbers, and personal information secure. You may well know by now that there are people preying on that information, ready to use it to exploit money and valuable privacy from you. But who exactly are these "people" preying on your information. Who makes up this dangerous group? In 2004 major players in the Internet black market were arrested. The members of this group ranged from part-time students to international members from beyond our borders. The group that was busted was called the ShadowCrew and was made up of over 4,000 members(The Cybercrime Blackmarket). They hacked into networks and extracted private information and sold what they had stolen. Today, even after the arrest of members of the ShadowCrew there are groups of criminals thriving. Many belong to online communities that sell and trade fraudulent information. Some of these criminal communities can be accessed with registration and a registration fee, and there are likely even more covert communities for the black market out there. Access to the most secure black market operations is much more difficult and the communities are undetectable. This is just a glimpse into the forces operating against innocent Internet users. We hope this information is motivation to keep your identity safe through safe Internet practices and the implementation of security software such as Personal Privacy software, AntiVirus software and AntiSpyware software.




References

"The Cybercrime Blackmarket." Symantec . 2007. Symantec Corporation. 25 Jun 2007 .

Information Storage

Do you realize that your medical, insurance, pharmacy, police and employment records are all stored on computers? Even your old school records, phone records and video rental records are somewhere, stored on a computer. In the past, employers have accessed employees' medical information and used it against them in hiring and firing situations. Ideally, medical information is private and only to be accessed with the permission of the individual. However, as mentioned employers are getting their hands on the secure information easily and using it for harm. They are able to obtain this information because it is stored on computers and easily extracted. The issue of medical records disclosure is just one of the problems that information storage online or within computer hard drives can be dangerous. To protect your information always ask about the security of information databases. Never disclose personal information unless you're sure that the database is kept secure.

Identity Theft

If you've been the victim of identity theft, there are some important steps to take. First you must report the crime to the police and obtain a case report and a case number. Next call all of your credit card providers. Cancel your cards and request new account numbers. Also, be sure to indicate that you want your cancellation statement to disclose that the account was closed at the owner's request. Also be sure to ask for a password to be placed on all of your new or reissued accounts.

The thief may have opened accounts in your name, so you'll want to close those as well. As for the future. You can set up a "flag" for yourself, so that your name and account is on fraud alert. So, when you are anyone else tries to open an account in your name, the account will need to be cleared through you. You provide a phone number, and whenever an account open attempt occurs, you'll receive a call. This is a safety measure that will help you rest easily, especially after an identity theft situation.