Why you need to be up to date on surveillance technology.

With all of the surveillance scandals coming out of good ole Washington, DC these days, good questions come to mind...

What information am I unknowingly sharing?

Most of what we do online, on our phones, and in the public eye can be easily traced. Most mobile phones today have GPS and Internet connectivity. Everything that we do online is documented somewhere, by somebody. Also, many businesses have security cameras installed.

So, why is all of this information being gathered, and who is gathering it?

Video Surveillance by Private Parties

Most private companies install security cameras for 2 reasons. First, they want to prevent/discourage loss and/or vandalism. Second, companies like to know the shopping habits of their customers. If a restaurant or other retail location installs a security camera, it is typically because they want to see what the shopping habits of their customers are, and they want to limit theft or vandalism. It just so happens that by installing a surveillance system, the company can also get huge discounts on their business insurance. With so many benefits for businesses to install surveillance systems, it comes as no surprise as to why we see them popping up everywhere.

When you shop, you are being recorded. This is not necessarily a bad thing. If the business that you are shopping at have a decent security camera system, chances are pretty high that they can decrease their costs. When businesses decrease their costs, customers win out because prices typically stay low. Also, shopping at a business with a security camera system protects the consumer by keeping the business safe.

 Network Surveillance by Private Parties

When you connect to an open WiFi hotspot, you can be pretty sure that a lot of your surfing habits are being monitored. To protect themselves, businesses have to maintain a certain level of control over what happens on their network. One way of doing this is by monitoring web activity of the devices that are connected. Another reason that companies monitor usage is to tap into the likes and dislikes of their clientele. When a company gets to know their customers, that company then has the ability to adjust their offerings to fulfill the needs of that customer.

Not only are you monitored when you are using an open Internet connection, but you are also monitored when you use your own. Google, amongst other big data companies,  has made an entire empire by profiling Internet users, and matching advertisements based upon those profiles.

Another thing to be aware of is the use of GPS on smartphones. A lot of times, GPS could be sharing data with 3rd parties to track your movements. This is done in order to better serve you, and match you with offers that would interest you in your immediate area.

Surveillance by Non-Private Parties

There is this thing in the United States that we like to call the Constitution. At one time, this document was the law of the land. However, it seems that recently, it has been disregarded. According to the Constitution, the Government has no right to access, expose, or intercept any private data about a person, a group, or a business without following due process.

Apparently, the Government seems to have forgotten this. For more information, please refer to the Bill of Rights, and more particularly Amendments 4 and 5. Having said that, one would be right to ask the question:

What's the difference between a private party having the right to gather information on me, and the Government having the right to gather information on me?

The Answer...

CHOICE.

Any time that you give a private company an opportunity to gather information on you, you are doing so by choice. You remember all of those "Terms of Service" documents that you have to agree to just to use a system like Gmail or a local WiFi hotspot? Those documents inform you of the right of that company to document information about you. Typically you must agree to those terms before you are able to use that service. If you don't agree, then you don't use that service. The point is that you have a choice.

When the Government collects information on you, you have no choice. This is becoming increasingly evident over time. If the Government wants information about you, they simply file and go get it. You have absolutely no choice as to whether or not your information is shared. Not only that, but most of the time you receive no benefit at all from the Government having access to your data.

When a private company gathers data on you, they do so with the hope of selling you something. Ultimately, if the private company is able to know your wants and desires in a more clear manner, they are able to sell you something that you want. Not only that, but due to private companies having the ability to profile, they are able to offer you premium services for free that would otherwise cost you money (i.e. Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, Google Apps, Pandora, etc.).

When the Government collects data on you, with out due process, they are infringing upon your Constitutional rights. They are collecting this data, not with the hope of selling you something that you want, but with the hope of catching you doing something wrong.

The Verdict

If you want all of your information to stay private, then you really must just hide away in some remote place and have no contact with anyone. However, if you want to have some control over your information, but don't want to join Tom Hanks on the island with Wilson, you must do these things:

1) Read the Terms of Service on everything, and don't agree to sharing your personal data with any company unless you get something of value out of it.
2) Use Proxy Servers when surfing the Internet for a level of anonymity.
3) Check out Tor .
4) Adjust your privacy settings on social media accordingly.
5) When using public hotspots, be very careful. There are ways to secure a connection on a public hotspot. Contact Colishay Technologies for help with this.
6) Contact your legislators and demand that they uphold their oath of office by supporting the entire US Constitution.
7) Get involved in discussions with IT professionals about best practices for IT security.

It's up to you...

Everyone has different expectations as far as privacy is concerned. If you don't mind sharing your information, then continue as you are. However, if you want to have a better handle on what is shared, apply these tips, and have fun...

To find out more about WiFi systems or IP Surveillance systems, please contact Dan Robson at Colishay Technologies