Privacy at Risk in Your Own Home

According to ABC News: 

Shot from a second-floor apartment across the street from the luxury residence, the photographs show neighbors living their lives in their apartments.

What does "the artist" have to say about it?

For my subjects there is no question of privacy; they are performing behind a transparent scrim on a stage of their own creation with the curtain raised high. The Neighbors don't know they are being photographed; I carefully shoot from the shadows of my home into theirs.

Artist or Peeping Tom? Where do you stand on the question? Now before you answer, put yourself (or your kids) on the wall of that gallery.

It's just one more reminder that an open window - even open curtains - can invite a whole slew of intrusions, from the physical to photogenic. Consider who may be lurking on the other side of your window before leaving those blinds cracked for too long.

People are peering into our private properties more than ever (through cameras, smartphones, Google streetview trucks, drones, etc.). We all need to re-evaluate what people can see of our personal property and activities, not only from the street, but from the skies. 

New Targets for Hackers

Criminal hackers can generally be divided into two groups - thieves and showboats. They breach secure systems either to steal or simply to demonstrate that it can be done. A few recent hacking incidents indicate the showboat sect may be picking up steam.

Smartphone used to hack into a plane cockpit
The power and rapid evolution of technology is exposed by a security researcher armed with an Android.

"By using a Samsung Galaxy handset, Teso demonstrated how to use ACARS to redirect an aircraft's navigation systems to different map coordinates. He was able to insert code into a virtual aircraft's Flight Management System, and by passing the code between the aircraft's computer unit and the pilot's display, Teso was able to take total control of what the aircrew would see in the cockpit.

"It wasn't until hours later when the Syrian Electronic Army - a group of hackers working in support of Bashar al-Assad - claimed responsibility for the attack, breaking into Stephen Hawking's voicebox one last time to announce "the Syrian Electronic Army was here" just as the scientist was leaving the stage."

Your Tattoo Password

It's no secret that passwords are increasingly vulnerable to thieves and other criminals. So it's easy to see why new methods for authentication are generating a fair amount of buzz - from fingerprints and retina scans to tattoos and pills. Yes, pills. Sound like science fiction? It's eerily close to reality, reports WeLiveSecurely:

"I take a vitamin every day, why can't I take a vitamin authentication every day?" asked [Regina] Dugan, [who leads special projects for Motorola.] "Your entire body becomes an authentication token. It becomes your first superpower. When I touch my phone, my computer, my door, my car I am authenticated."

Not to mention, that for individuals who feel compelled or forced to get a tattoo like this, that could very well be a privacy invasion of the person/body. 

Reader Question

Hi Rebecca,

I received a postcard from a neighbor announcing use of nextdoor.com for neighborhood news, community events, etc.  He said, "It's free and less intrusive than Facebook." We don't use any social networks. Do you know anything about nextdoor.com? Thanks.

Thanks for the question! I had not heard of this social network, but have since done a little digging. Here's what I found out (but I'd like to hear what others think):

Second, they have a fairly good, transparent posted privacy policy. However, their "Contractors/Service Providers" section is vague, and indicates that third parties, in addition to their parent company, will have access to the data you share. How many and who are they? 

Another troubling aspect of their privacy policy is this statement: "Subject to any mandatory obligations to delete data, we may choose to retain information in our server logs, our databases and our records indefinitely." So, it doesn't look like there's any way you can remove your data; tough cookies!

 
It's too bad they didn't address privacy issues right from the start by implementing Privacy by Design.

(If anyone from nextdoor.com is reading this, certainly get in touch. I'd love the opportunity to help beef up your privacy!)  

You are right to be suspicious of any online site that promises to collect and share your information, even if it claims to be secure. Like I always say, anything you put on the Internet becomes immediately vulnerable. Think twice before you post. 

You Have My Permission to Share

I receive a lot of requests to repurpose the information contained in these Tips messages, so I wanted to drop a quick note in here to say, "Yes, I approve!" Please use the following attribution so that others will know where to find me if they have additional questions about the material you pass along.