Privacy Vs. Security

Privacy and security are two issues important to every PC user. They are different issues. Security is making sure that someone (or a virus) does not invade your PC and crash it or steal things from it. Privacy is making sure that your information and communications are not disclosed to persons or enterprises for which they are not intended.

Privacy is invisible to most people but becoming an increasingly important issue. Just think that all your emails are stored on some computer somewhere. That is correct your emails are most likely retained by some enterprise. Now keep in mind that this is very helpful to us. I have just started using GMAIL because it permits me to consolidate all my email accounts into a single email account. Further it has good contact management and a great calendar function. From an ease of use viewpoint it is terrific.

My second email is EYEJOT because I can send video messages accompanied by text and attachments. This is awesome.

However, all my emails can be captured and saved by these enterprises. Now both enterprises may not be malevolent, but if there was a conservative running for Congress, there is no way of absolutely telling what the liberals at enterprise may do with what emails are stored there. It just seems to me that there is real political nastiness going around. If you disagree with some politician on policies, using your emails they can potentially attack you personally. Or, if you are a celebrity chasing around, no telling what saved emails may pop up to hurt you in the future. My point is not that anyone would do something bad, but that they can.

I worked for a Real Estate company that provided email for all its agents. All my emails were monitored and saved somewhere by the company. Consequently, I sent no private email using the email they provided.

A simple email signature can help with privacy. At least anyone looking at the email for nefarious purposes would be warned not to read or disseminate the information. A simple signature wording is shown here:

Pete – the nerd
Pete.realtor.nerd@gmail.com
This transmission contains information from Pete Moulton (pete.realtor.nerd@gmail.com) which may be confidential and/or privileged. The information is intended to be for the exclusive use of the planned recipient. If you are not the intended recipient, be advised that any disclosure, copying, distribution or other use of this information is strictly prohibited. If you have received this transmission in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete this communication and any attachments without making any copies thereof.

The intent is to make the person to whom the email is not intended to just delete the email. This does not prohibit your email provider from storing the email, but it does prohibit your email provider from using it for other purposes. The grey area here is if all stored emails were scanned for say “snow blower”. Is this disclosing your email content? Probably not. This is most likely free email providers do this and sell this information to marketers.

So when you are writing that next email, please remember someone – somewhere is watching you.