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PRIVACYnotes Digest
Security Protecting Privacy is Good for Business
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Published by: Mike Banks Valentine
privacy@privacynotes.com
www.privacynotes.com
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April 11, 2002 Issue # 005
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.....IN THIS DIGEST.....
// -- MODERATOR COMMENT -- //
"Data Warehousing Worries?" ~ Mike Banks Valentine
// -- NEW DISCUSSION -- //
"Terrorism Transformative" ~ anonymous
// -- CONTINUING DISCUSSION -- //
"YAHOO! Yanks Privacy" ~ anonymous
"Who Reads Privacy Policies?" ~ anonymous
// -- PRIVACY NEWS -- //
"The Latest in Privacy Issues"
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// -- MODERATOR COMMENT -- //
The airlines are instituting vast data-mining and predictive
behavior modeling software in an attempt to alert them to potential
terrorists. This is, of course, a laudable goal. The major problem
is that it means they must collect and analyze that data for all
of the flying public in order to sort of figure out what terrorist
activity might look like.
CRM software being implemented by online businesses is meant
to do a very different thing in tracking, analyzing and predicting
buying behavior, return on investment, lifetime value of customers
and other marketing and sales information. What does preferred
customer behavior look like?
Facial recognition software coupled with closed circuit television
cameras videotaping our every move must collect and analyze more,
very different information and law enforcement agencies are increasingly
beginning to share that information across local, state and federal
boundaries.
Now the scary issue is when someone finds a way to connect all
the dots and bring those databases together and share information
across all those differing lines of interest. Databases of mined
information from vast data warehouses can suddenly be linked together
via the web and soon everyone can be tracked across their web
activity, buying habits, public travels and law enforcement connections
and we have big brother happening in that linking of databases
and data warehousing.
Microsoft .Net Passport anyone?
It's inevitable that this is coming. What we do about it and
how much of this data linking we allow is going to be very important,
very soon.
Also, 'tis a big week for privacy news and commentary. The articles
are truly very interesting and I encourage everyone to look at
the linked stories as I'm sure they'll each fire some discourse.
~ Mike Banks Valentine
// -- NEW DISCUSSION -- //
===> TOPIC: TERRORISM TRANSFORMATIVE?
"Privacy interests will yield to national security interests.
Moreover, I'm afraid that I think that they should. It seems to
me that what occurred on Sept. 11 was a transformative act in
our history. While people are trying to go back to life as it
was before Sept. 11, I don't think it's possible. I think it's
likely that we will have another attack, which will be very damaging
to us, and I think that after that second attack there will be
more incursions into privacy. And I think that I, among others,
will say that it is a necessary price to pay."
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/07/magazine/07QUESTIONS.html
[ Moderator Comment ]: Mr. Abrams is not a member of this discussion
list, but no doubt would have some valuable input. The above comment
was drawn from an April 7 Interview with the New York Times Magazine.
// -- CONTINUING DISCUSSION -- //
===> TOPIC: YAHOO! YANKS PRIVACY!
From: anonymous
I too went to Yahoo when I got the so-called privacy notice,
and found that they had signed me up for more than a dozen marketing
emails. This, at the same time they are applying filters to route
emails they think are spam into a dustbin.
Interesting, huh? They are blocking their competitors, and secretly
opting us into their own spam.
anonymous
===> TOPIC: WHO READS PRIVACY POLICIES?
From: anonymous
anonymous wrote: >> I find I never read privacy policies
because if I don't already trust the company to be reasonable
with my personal contact info, I don't believe anything written
in their privacy policy either. <<
I agree. And further more Mike added : >> It seems that
even major players can go from trusted to UMMM . . . not trusted,
in a single sweeping flourish. <<
I agree with that too. My choice? I make up information. It's
none of their business. Perhaps if there were enough people entering
info such as Mickey Mouse or whatever, and people understood the
value of the information, perhaps things may change. How much
money is my information worth to a company? How much do I receive?
anonymous
// -- PRIVACY NEWS -- //
Now that HTML e-mail has become increasingly common, cookies
are showing up in HTML e-mail messages, many of which are sent
by spammers, who have little or no obligation to disclose how
they use consumer data they collect. Whereas cookies on Web sites
generally collect data "anonymously," e-mail cookies have the
potential to connect individuals' surfing habits with particular
e-mail addresses.
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-875992.html
A three-judge panel hearing a case against the Children's Internet
Protection Act were openly skeptical of the law at the end of
the two-week trial. The plaintiffs, including libraries, library
patrons, and operators of Web sites, want to overturn the law
because it mandates Internet filters that the group says restrict
free speech. The judges seem to agree.
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,51591,00.html
Most passwords are hopelessly easy to guess and many employees
put company information at risk by using easily guessed or simple
to break passwords. Very few employees are ever trained in rudimentary
security measures which puts networks at peril.
<http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/internet/04/08/passwords.survey/index.h
tml>
DoubleClick settlement details begin to slowly emerge from the
shadows after last week's announcement of the class action suit
against privacy protection advocates. The online advertising company
has agreed to pay $1.8 million in legal fees and will purge their
list of names on a regular basis.
http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1105-871837.html
YAHOO! flames flying after they opt-in users to spam last week.
Because word travels fast online, even users who have not yet
been notified by YAHOO! are angry about the changes to their privacy
preferences, even though YAHOO! claims that no changes take effect
for 60 days from the day the user is notified of the change.
http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1106-871803.html
Corporate hack attacks go unreported to law enforcement or federal
authorities due to concerns of public exposure of privacy and
security problems at those companies suffering attacks.
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/08/technology/08BREA.html
Ezine-Tips discusses problems with BBB privacy seal and third
party list hosts. Web sites approved by BBB online are required
to place the seal on every page, including that of list hosts.
If those hosts don't allow posting of the BBB seal for members,
then those list owners cannot get the BBB privacy seal at all.
http://ezine-tips.com/articles/management/20020328.shtml
As the number of wireless devices in use continues to grow,
security concerns regarding them are mounting as well. New market
research reports from Gartner and IDC suggest that corporate users
and consumers have reason to question how much information they
could be giving away through their wireless devices.
http://www.pcmag.com/article/0,2997,s=1490&a=25005,00.asp
International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) said on Wednesday
it is releasing free software that will allow companies to automate
their Internet privacy practices, while AT&T Corp. T.N has
free software to alert Web surfers to different privacy settings
on Web sites.
http://reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=search&StoryID=773438
A poll taken just after the six-month anniversary of the September
11th attacks on New York's World Trade Center and the Pentagon
showed that Americans' support for and confidence in electronic
governmental surveillance is waning.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/perl/story/17111.html
http://www.newsfactor.com/perl/story/17029.html
Informix spin-off Ascential Software Inc. last week said it's
buying privately held data-cleansing software vendor Vality Technology
Inc. for about $92 million in cash. The deal, slated to close
in April, would let Ascential (ASCL-Nasdaq) expand its tool suite
for building data warehouses.
http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20020315S0024
http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20020312S0085
