How to Take Control of Your Data
Consumer Reports has a new security tool available online for free. Their information is tailored to our individual online uses and behavior. Simply click on the devices and methods you use and the site provides helpful links for improving your safety and online security. To evaluate the site, I clicked on each option available for... Continue Reading →
Raise your hand if a lot of people have your contact information. The people closest to us can either help or harm our privacy- protection efforts. Our choices sure can generate some awkward conversations. We have to explain why we don't use our real identity on social media and ask others not to reveal it,... Continue Reading →
As I have said before, Mozilla products are essential for privacy enthusiasts. Check out their browsers and email software. They just added a screenshot app, too. Privacy and security are important to Mozilla and they work to improve the internet for all users. You've probably noticed more connected devices hitting the market every day that... Continue Reading →
Most privacy enthusiasts start with some basic steps to limit our exposure to spam and personal info leaks. A new article in Wired describes how frustrating it can be to realize how we're opted IN automatically when we share email addresses and other information with vendors. Have an email address ready to use for receipts... Continue Reading →
The Complete Privacy & Security Podcast- Episode 071 March 16, 2018 Click here for SoundCloud site. This was a super-informative podcast where Johan, the owner of several people search sites (discoverthem.com and others) describes how they obtain, maintain, and sell your personal information. You'll feel a little sick after listening, but you'll learn some helpful... Continue Reading →
We never worried too much about having our physical address visible online before this duty station. The data brokers were usually one PCS behind. However, we've been here almost four years in this location and our address was all over the internet in search engines and people-finder websites. I checked some resources about how to... Continue Reading →
Follow up to the last post. After talking to CS at GoDaddy.com about telephonedirectories.us about my options, I decided this may be a browser issue. The CS agent said that td.us is still an active site, according to what he could see. He could see the site, while I couldn't on my computer. I closed... Continue Reading →
"The Paranoid is never entirely mistaken." In it's mildest form, it's called situational awareness. The more extreme versions may apply to Preppers or eventually to conspiracy-theory hermits in tin foil hats. On the paranoia spectrum, I'd say I'm an amateur prepper. Experts in enterprise security talk about privacy and paranoia at this podcast. © 2019... Continue Reading →
Internet websites and their domain names are governed by the ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. A website's domain must be unique (such as ourprivacymatters.org) in order for an internet browser to point to it correctly. When a person or business registers a domain, their information becomes public information. All of the... Continue Reading →
**TV News Consumer Segment** This 2017 video tells how to opt out of one direct mail data broker, Data & Marketing Association. DMA charges a $2 fee to opt out. I used a prepaid Visa gift card for these transactions. It's a good idea to keep one of these for any charges you make online. ... Continue Reading →
We're taught from the time we're little kids to be nice and share. So when the clerk asks for our phone number or email, we give it, right? Here's the thing: those loyalty cards and discount programs are money-makers for those companies. They don't store our information just to send us coupons or help us... Continue Reading →
Get the template here.
**Privacy for MilFams** A set of PowerPoint slides containing steps, instructions, and suggestions. Feel free to share. © 2019 GR All Rights Reserved
If the idea of your personal information publicly visible to the world alarms you, then just what can you do? After my initial feeling of panic subsided, I decided on a strategy to remove what I could from the online sources that published our information. Initial damage assessment: what personal data is visible on search... Continue Reading →
Now Hide Me 