Opuscula Expectations Of privacy Foolish dream

IT SEEMS THE LATEST “SURPRISE” is that the privacy of the social media mega star, Facebook, has been compromised.

Is anyone REALLY surprised?

Ditto for all the other “social media.”

Ditto for every database that contains personal, private information.

Including the governments (plural governments).

IN ORDER TO DO ALMOST anything these days you have to share a huge amount of personal information – from name, age, address, and phone number to government ID (in the U.S. at a minimum that means a Social Security number (that, incidentally never was intended to be used as ID outside of tax-related documents). Driver’s license (or other government-issued ID), insurance (health, vehicle, home), and more also are cavalierly demanded by issuers of things people desire.

Worse, people open “social media” accounts (Facebook and others), post highly personal information on them, and then act surprised when they discover someone knows more about them than they think proper.

Apparently the ONLY people who ignore “social media” admissions are in the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the FBI or “fibbies.” Several mass murderers have posted their intent on “social media” and the fibbies chose to ignore the warning signs (the latest being the murders at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland FL).

FBI says it didn't act on tip about Parkland shooter¹

Now there are those who feign surprise that an English company managed to collect information about Americans allegedly to identify who could be swayed to vote for this or that political candidate.

No, Virginia, it was not the Russians; it was a company based in England that raided, apparently quiet blatantly, Facebook’s user database.

The Democrats blame President Trump – he’s their “boogeyman du jour – and the GOP in general for the Facebook exercise; they probably are embarrassed that THEY failed to think of it first. Politics always have been played surreptitiously, much like Mad’s Spy vs. Spy.” )

Hackers don’t need to hack into “social media” sites. All that’s needed is money; money to buy information.

That is nothing new.

People have been buying public information – name, address, phone numbers – for years, and always for one reason: the convince the target audience to buy their products, be it politicians or philosophies, or vehicles or … frankly, just about anything. There are more than a few companies that have selling such information as their primary business.

Democrats and Republicans – and let’s not forget so-called “independents” – don’t have to buy “social media” information regarding a user’s political opinions; all they need to do is look at the user’s "social media" page. Rants against this or that politician or party are usually pretty obvious. Even references to favored art (music, comics, talk shows, etc.) gives a clue.

“Do we want to court this person for our purposes or do we want to avoid – or demean – the person who may not serve our purpose?”

I don’t have a Facebook page. I had a LinkedIn profile, but I took it down. I don’t “Tweet” nor do I (knowingly) have a presence on any other “social media” with the exception of this blog.

If anyone insists on knowing my political position, I am a social liberal and fiscal conservative; a former newspaper reporter and editor who has no trust in today’s media.

FOR THE RECORD

Social Security numbers were first issued in 1936 -- "for the sole purpose" of tracking the earnings history of workers for benefits, according to the Social Security Administration.

Until 1972, the bottom of the card said: "FOR SOCIAL SECURITY PURPOSES -- NOT FOR IDENTIFICATION." ²

According to ars TECHNICA, the White House wants to end Social Security numbers as a national ID, putting it in compliance with the intent of the original 1936 act.³

Rob Joyce, the White House cyber security czar, said on Tuesday that the government should end using the Social Security number as a national identification method.

"I believe the Social Security number has outlived its usefulness," said Joyce, while speaking at The Washington Post's Cybersecurity Summit. "Every time we use the Social Security number, you put it at risk."

Joyce, by the way, is NOT the first in the cyber security management position. The FCW website⁴ reports that Rob Joyce, who once ran the National Security Agency's office of Tailored Access Operations -- the hacking division -- is taking on the role of White House cyber security coordinator.

Tom Bossert, President Trump's homeland security advisor, told the audience at a Center for Strategic and International Studies event on March 15 that Joyce is officially taking the position last held by Michael Daniel during the Obama administration.

BOTTOM LINE

Unless you want everyone to know more about you than you’d tell your best friend:

1. Don’t post anything private of “social media” – the world is watching.
2. Change passwords frequently, at least once every 90 days.
3. Use random passwords, preferably created by a password generator program. (How you remember those passwords is up to you. Post-It notes on the screen are not recommended.

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Sources

1. http://tinyurl.com/y7vdfhy3

2. http://tinyurl.com/y8rn6zgl

3. http://tinyurl.com/ybm2uc5t

4. http://tinyurl.com/y9zcjpem

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

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