Internet Privacy, IP Address and Proxy FAQ

What is an IP address?

A string of numbers assigned to you by your Internet Service Provider whenever you connect online.

Can I be traced through my IP address?

Your IP address reveals only the location and name of your ISP. Your ISP itself may have records of your computer using their service at such and such a time, but an ISP will usually not disclose this information without a search warrant / court order.

How long does an ISP keep logs of user IP addresses?

No one knows, but it could be anywhere from months to a few years. This is necessary to monitor bandwidth usage.

Someone online has threatened they can find me through my IP address. Can they do this?

Most likely they're bluffing. Unless you run your own server or live in the same building as your ISP's office, a stranger can't find you using just your IP address.

Can someone find out my username or password based in my IP address?

No. Your ISP is the only one that knows these details.

Do my emails display my IP address?

Yes. To send email anonymously, you'll want to use an anonymous remailer or an anonymous proxy.

What is a proxy server?

A third party server used as a go-between by a client computer that doesn't want to connect directly to the Internet.

Can a proxy server give me internet privacy?

Not if it's just a proxy server. A mere proxy server will announce to cyberspace that it's acting as a proxy for such and such IP address user (your computer), so you can still be traced through it.

What type of proxy server should I use to be able to surf anonymously?

You need an anonymous proxy server that's secure, reputable and reliable. You will most likely have to pay a fee.

How can an anonymous proxy server protect me?

Mainly by hiding your real IP address and blocking malicious scripts and programs from entering your system. You may get a different IP address each time you use the proxy. Additionally, some anonymous proxies claim they can't disclose your data even if subpoenaed (court ordered) since they don't store user logs.

How much does it cost to get an anonymous proxy server?

Could be $19.95, or $29.95 or $99.95. It all depends on the server and the service features. Go check out the anonymous proxy server's website and compare their product services.

Are free proxy servers safe to use?

Not if you're serious about your security and privacy. Many free proxies are either incorrectly set up, or owned by malicious people who want to use your data for their own ends. Beware of using free proxies and anonymous proxy servers that don't allow secure connections. And no matter what server you use, always encrypt private data.

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Two out of five identity theft victims surveyed by the Identity Theft Assistance Center (ITAC, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting identity theft through victim assistance, research and law enforcement partnerships) know how their personal data was stolen. This knowledge provides valuable insight about how identity theft occurs.

When ITAC surveyed 275 identity theft victims who worn the ITAC's open tune over a one-month episode, 160 customers (58%) did not know the supply of their identity theft. Another 115 customers (42%) did know how their information was compromised. These 115 customers attributed their identity theft to the next supplys:

* contacts, relatives, in-home workers - 26 gear, or 22.61% * notebook hacker/virus/phishing - 25 gear, or 21.74% * letters (stolen or fraudulent address change) - 24 gear, or 20.87% * abandoned/stolen wallet, checkbook or believe excess - 15 gear, or 13.04% * shady venture or worker - 12 gear, or 10.43% * records betrayal - 8 gear, or 6.96% * House burglarized - 4 gear, or 3.48% * minute believe - 1 casing, or 0.87%

receiving accurate information about the supplys of identity theft is trying because identity theft - the notch of a fraudulent new account or account invasion - is regularly confworn with other types of fraud, like the unauthorized use of a believe excess.

Nevertheless, it is up to each of us to be on safety against the possibility that our documents, or nastiest yet, our processors, could be compromised. Sometimes it may look like a behind fight, but they are some steps we can take to avert suitable the next victim. Here are some precautions:

* Do not keep your communal wellbeing excess in your wallet.

* If your communal wellbeing number is on your driver's excess, detach it. (In some states it is now banned for a driver's excess to be issued with a communal wellbeing number.)

* When shredding important documents, make surely you use a irritated-cut. "If it is tattered in strips and not irritated-cut, I can put it down right in front of me and put it back together and there you have it," says "John", who uses his skills as a processor safety specialist to shelter you, and is skilled in the conduct of hackers and thieves and can ruin your believe and your life.

* "Don't use wireless for something that you would not want put in a open newspaper. still it's a careful convenience, your information is frankly hovering in mid-air. I could be two blocks away with a high-powered receiver selection up his information."

* The key is safety in deepness or layers: opposing-virus, processor patches, and firewalls, and most importantly, updating them once a week. There are types of shelterion for wireless but they can be hacked in as little as twenty resume.

Because cybercriminals are suitable smarter and more sophisticated in their operations, they are frank threats to your personal safety and privacy. Your money, your processor, your family, and your venture are all at menace.

Spybot There are hundreds of Adware deletion programs on the push. Your best bet is to go to a place like Spybot Download It lists the best Adware Removers presently on the push. Or just google the speak "adware remover". Like I said, you'll find hundreds. Some are good, some aren't. Free Spybot is a great situate for you to see which ones work, but I know some of you just like to google, and that's approval too ;). Just get one, I feel bad having to current so wholly for something so nominal.

Some Ethical Issues of Internet Privacy

If you are concerned about the ethical issues of internet privacy, then good for you. There is a movement right about now that is gaining traction. And the scary part of this is the fact no one is really talking about it. Maybe it is because people do not believe it is really a big issue. Or, maybe it is just because people do not know about it. But, right now, your every movement is being tracked on the internet.

You see, there is now a database being built of everywhere you have been on the internet. I personally found this out the other day when I clicked on an ad, and the headline said something about the city I lived in. At first, I thought: Holy smoke! This is a local person. But, the more I looked at it, it seemed a little strange out of all places my city is where this event happened.

So, I tried something a little different this time. I just changed a setting on my computer. Then I went back to the website, and clicked the ad. The ad now said the event took place in a different city. And, I now know this was because the internet could tell where I was. Once I realized this, just a little bit of fear began to set in. If people are using this information just for ads, then what else could they be using it for?

The setting I changed was my IP address. This is the location of the computer you are on. And, IP addresses are set up by locations, or cities. So, the internet knows if you visit a website, it can track your geographic location just by the IP address of your computer. But this is not the worst of it.

Now, there are companies building online databases of all of your internet movements. They know every place you go. Then, they begin to build a profile of you, via your IP address, and will begin to use this information to advertise to you. But the ethical question here is: Who gives them the right to collect this information? And better yet, who is over seeing all of this information?

I always have a concern when people know what exact phrases I am searching for on the internet. Or, they know every website I go to. This is why it is extremely important to hide this information. And, since they track it by your IP address, if you can change or hide your IP address, then they can not track you any more. All of your data ends up on another IP address. Pretty sneaky huh?

So, how is this done? Just by using a software that will hide your IP address, you can change your IP address whenever you want to, and as often as you want to. This will then prevent anyone from actually knowing where you have been, and more importantly, from building a personal profile of your internet usage. I honestly believe this is a serious ethical issue of internet privacy being invaded. This is why you need to do something about it.

The simplest method to prevent people and companies from invading in your internet privacy is by hiding your IP address. Right now, you can download this IP masking software for free to try it out.

Teaching your kids about the Internet

The Internet is something that is very powerful. It provides a whole lot of information without much of the hassle associated with looking for them in an encyclopedia. Search engines have made looking for particular data an ease – it is literally typing a few words and clicking. The Internet provides news in real time, even if the events going on are a few thousand miles away from where you are.

That being said, the Internet can also be dangerous. It is used to mass produce viruses and spread them around the whole world, able to affect any nation, especially those lacking in computer security. It can be used to hack into bank accounts and robbing money away from an unsuspecting owner. It can be used for terrorist functions. It is filled with dirty material – pornography, lewd acts, cursing, and crime.

The Internet is a place that you don’t want your kids to go snooping around in, due to the dangers associated with it. This is why it is very important for parents to teach their kids about the wonders and dangers of the Internet, and not just one side only. Show them the whole thing; the big picture. A child who views something not suitable for him may have his life changed forever, something that even parents can't do anything about.

By teaching your kids properly, you are ensuring not only their safety, but the whole family’s safety as well. Any information a child shares over the Internet to someone who is a total stranger can endanger the whole family. Teach your kids never to share information, even if it is just a location (e.g. Los Angeles), a phone number, or even a name. Tell them that it is for the protection of the family.

Tell your kids never to give out passwords, even if they are shared with close friends. Passwords make it much easier for perpetrators to get what they want without the risk of getting caught and you never know, a close friend might have a slip of the tongue and give out the child’s password to a total stranger. By then, if you are unsuspecting, the perpetrator may have gotten away with what he wanted already.

Teach your kids never to tolerate nor entertain cursing and other foul, rude language over the Internet. It is very easy to respond in a negative way to a person over the Internet since you can't be seen and you can be anywhere in the world. However, you might not know if the person the child curses is a computer expert or not, which could endanger your computer and data.

Allow your kids to have fun while at the same time restricting them. Giving them total freedom on the Internet will only lead to danger, as they are mostly innocent and unsuspecting of those who want to prey on children. Place security measures on the Internet browser. Place the computer in the family room instead of the child’s room so that you can check in on the child from time to time, which will be to his protection.

Tell your kids never to accept any file that is sent over the Internet without consulting you first. This file can be anything – a virus, a nude photo, a gross photo, a prank program, etc. It is better to exercise caution and prevent a negative occurrence rather than try to control any damage done after the file is executed.

Tell your kids to exercise caution in chat rooms and social networking sites. Tell them that there are perpetrators out there that lurk and wait for the unsuspecting child to come and befriend them. These people ought to be treated as strangers. It would also be better if the child would tell the parents every time he meets a new “friend”.

The Internet is very dangerous. A child can't hope to combat viruses, spyware, and lewd material on his own. It is far better to prevent that from ever occurring, and often times, teaching a child is the best way to go. Tell them of the rules, decorum, and other necessities in using the Internet. More importantly, tell them to have fun without the risk of exposing themselves.

Internet safety solutions for kids

Thanks to the birth and subsequent growth of information technology, particularly the Internet, millions of people from all over the world have access to each other. Chat rooms, social networking sites, and various internet forums make this connection a virtual reality. Unfortunately, there is a bad side to all the wonders that the Internet showcases. One of these negatives is that children are exposed to various dangers which are very difficult to control.

You can't blame children for wanting to use the Internet for their own satisfaction. As it is often said (which is true), children copy adults around them, especially those that they look up to as role models – including their own parents. As such, when the kids see parents or their role models on TV playing with computers and the Internet, their curiosity is quickly aroused and they want to copy what these role models do. When they get a hold of the Internet, it is very difficult for them to look back.

One solution to this problem of constant exposure to the Internet’s dangers is for the parents to regulate the Internet access of their children. Microsoft Windows has various user accounts in which a child can be included. All the administrator has to do is to limit the web sites that the selected user can access, and around half of the danger is already eliminated as a result of this. All it takes is a little computer knowledge from the parent.

Another way is the Internet security feature usually found within the Internet options in Windows. If a web site is accidentally visited and it contains explicit material that isn't suitable for children, a warning is displayed. This feature can be adjusted accordingly, from high security to low, with custom settings a possibility as well.

However, these measures are only half of the overall solution to the overall problem. It is very easy to say that this can be avoided if you, as a parent, completely disallow your child to use computers and/or the Internet. However, you also don't want to deprive your children of the technology that is within their generation. That is why educating your children on the dangers of the Internet is very essential – you need to teach them the benefits of using the Internet while making them aware of the potential dangers and bad things that can happen.

This is perhaps the best way – training your child. Not only will this be beneficial for them, as a parent, this is beneficial for you too. You will get close to your child, spend quality time with him/her, and share your life together during these moments. Along with that, you are teaching him/her to be responsible when using the Internet. Tell them that it is all right to surf the Internet, provided that an amount of caution must be exercised.

A common problem arises when children go into Internet chat rooms and social networking sites to interact with people who also do the same. However, there are many users out there who claim to be 15 years old, when in reality, they are around 20 years or older! These people take advantage of innocent children by pretending to be their friend, asking certain personal questions, and just giving the child confidence that they have a friend they can talk to. However, in real life, they are securing information that can be used against the child and his family.

This is one reason why teaching and training a child is important. Tell your child never to give out personal information, no matter how subtle it may be. Tell your child never to give a photo of himself or of his family and friends. It may be all right to meet new friends online, but tell your child never to go out and personally meet these so-called new friends without asking you parents to accompany him.

In extreme situations, a good solution would be to call in some help, if you don’t think you can handle it. It is ok to admit that there are certain things that can be difficult to do. Remember that it is for the protection of your child. An example is if you want to place Internet restriction but don’t know how to. It is perfectly fine to seek help.

Internet Child Security: Monitoring Your Kid's Online Safety

Teaching our children online safety is every bit as important these days as teaching them the basics of "real world" physical security. The old adages of "don't talk to strangers" and other similar sayings now have their own electronic counterparts, and you should be aware of all of the possibilities to ensure the safety of your kids when they go on the internet. Here are the major hazards of children going online, along with a few bits of advice on how to deal with them.

Hazardous Programs/Software Online - viruses, spyware, worms, and trojans are some of the major threatening software that can be encountered online. Having security programs that detect and block incoming threats isn't always enough. Since these programs can ride piggyback disguised as or attached to harmless looking email, make sure that your children never accept email from any sources they don't know, and even to reject ones with suspicious sounding names even from sources that they DO trust, as their friends' computers might have gotten infected and the emails sent out automatically by the viruses. On a related note, teach your kids the importance of maintaining a firewall and anti virus shield. Show them how to operate them, and tell them NEVER to turn it off just because the firewall may be doing something "inconvenient" like blocking a game site.

Verbal Abuse Online - wether in chat rooms, forums, clubs, and online gaming, there are enough vicious, small minded, stupid, and harmful people that might heap verbal abuse on your children, swearing at them or making sexual advances on them, or even striking at their religious or ethnic backgrounds. Teach your children that they do NOT have to put up with this online any more than they have to in real life. They should know how to get recordings or screenshots of the instances, and take them to you. You can then ensure your child's safety by contacting the moderator of the forum, game, site, etc. in question and having them ban the offending parties. If the abuse is excessive, you can even opt for taking legal action against the person or people involved, just as you would push a slander and abuse charge if they did it on the street. The internet's advantage in such cases is that screenshots and official records from the sites can be used as hard evidence, unlike real-life verbal abuse cases where the evidence is usually gleaned from reliable witnesses.

Phishing - another danger online is the crime of phishing. This involves people contacting you or your children claiming to be something harmless like a bill collector, law enforcer, government employee, salesman, etc and attempting to get you or your children to give them sensitive information over the internet. This usually involves things like credit card numbers, home phone and address, social security numbers, etc. As in real life, the best defense against this is to teach your children to never divulge any information to someone they don't personally know, and to avoid giving out extra-sensitive information (credit card!) to anyone, even those they DO know. One type of software that helps defend against these cases is the supervisor monitoring program. These packages are usually meant for office use to monitor the times a user logged into a computer, what sites they visited, whch programs were run, what was downloaded and uploaded, and even what was typed. While this will not directly avoid phishing in case your kids DO give out information inadvertently, it WILL at least allow you to find out after the fact and to take appropriate legal measures using that hard evidence against the parties involved.

Stuff You Don't Want Them Seeing - lastly there are, sadly, many sites out there that we don't want our kids seeing. Aside from the obvious pornographic sites there are also ones involving graphic displays of extremes of violence, or have teachings and ideologies we'd rather not have our kids exposed to. To prevent this, parental lock programs and timers can be used to limit which sites your children can visit and how long they can stay on the internet. These types of software mesh perfectly with the supervisor monitoring program (mentioned in Phishing, above) to allow you to know what your children are doing online when they think you're not looking.

What Are Some of the Dangers of the Internet?

The information superhighway and the Internet revolution have allowed people of all ages, races, genders, and inclinations greater access to knowledge and communication. With more information stored online, more people can read about their favorite subjects without having to run to the library, or purchase an expensive encyclopedia set. With more knowledge organized in a format that can be easy to search through, retrieve, and work with, more people can learn faster and do more research online.

This revolution in information technology and presentation comes with its own disadvantages. Not all information presented online is true or edited, and nothing can surpass power of a real encyclopedia or reference book in terms of veracity of the information presented. Not all online forums seeking to help people are populated by experts or, much less, decent Internet users. Not all websites are safe to access, and not all files that you download from the Internet are free from malicious programs that can give hackers access to your computer.

Our children are the greatest beneficiaries of computer and online technology, and they are certainly its greatest victims. While the Internet can help your primary school student look for facts on Thailand, it may lead him or her to sites that advertise on the country’s teeming sex trade. While the World Wide Web can allow your secondary school student to do research on stem cells, it may ask for his or her credit card to purchase certain articles or books – only to turn the tables on you and allow hackers access to the credit card itself. The Internet is home to information as well as dangers, and in order to protect your children best, you will need to know the dangers.

• Because children are easily impressionable and can easily place their trust in someone who does good things for them, many ill-meaning people can prey on them and ask them to give information that they shouldn't. Such predators can operate at many levels, and in many sites. They can come to forums in the guise of someone who can counsel teenagers or help children with their homework. They can come to chat rooms and introduce themselves as grandfathers or grandmothers who want to learn about the Internet.

Predators come in many forms, but their aim will be the same: they will use children for their own selfish ends. They can ask children important information about the children’s parents, leading the way for the predator to break into the house or office and steal important, valuable items. They can ask children to meet them, leading the children to be kidnapped and sold off to the sex or slave trade.

• Child pornography, despite the efforts of international governments, has shown no signs of slowing down. More and more children are lured by child pornographers to pose for lewd pictures, participate in indecent, often disturbing acts, and ultimately destroy their fragile childhood. Like predators, pornographers will prey on children’s innocence, and pose as trustworthy people.

• Purchasing items through online merchants can make shopping easier, especially for housewives who have no time to hop over to the nearest grocery store or mall for things they might need. Online transactions, however, require credit card numbers and addresses, along with other important contact information.

Not all sites are created equal. Site security is becoming more of an issue as identity thieves have stepped up in their efforts to hack into accounts, steal money, and use stolen credit cards to make their transactions. Many online merchants keep a constant vigilant watch over their sites in order to ensure that no hackers enter and steal credit card numbers.

Not all Internet sites and users, however, have the technology to recognize hackers or thieves. Children will usually be the target of such people, as the online medium offers the cloak of invisibility that thieves need to dupe their victims. By posing as someone who works for a child’s father, or an aunt needing money desperately, or even a schoolmate who has met an accident, identity thieves can get credit card numbers from children. Hackers can also access a computer and fetch important information from it, thanks to their techniques of making children believe in their trustworthiness.

The Internet is an exciting marketplace, but it is also a dangerous one. Children are among its greatest victims. While the Internet revolutionizes lives, it can also change them, and sometimes for the worse.