Chances are your name , address , telephone number and email address are widely known .
can choose our source of information on any topic we input into our favorite search engine . Programs like Skype or FaceTime allow us to see and speak with relatives almost anywhere in the world , and we can share our location , what we are doing , and our thoughts through social media like Facebook and Twitter .
However , human nature also includes dark aspects , and the Internet has magnified these as well . Online bullying , computer hacking , identity theft , sexual exploitation , and recruitment to terrorism plague our society . Internet security has become an expensive priority in institutions like governments , banks , hospitals and schools in their attempt to guard our personal information against these darker aspects of humanity .
In our homes , Internet security software certainly helps to keep our information safe ,
Chances are your name , address , telephone number and email address are widely known .
but we also need to be cognizant of how much personal information we disclose . Consider what you may have already submitted to various agencies . Chances are your name , address , telephone number and email address are widely known . With the advent of the new ‘ security questions ,’ it is possible that others now also know where you were born , the schools you attended , the middle name of your first-born child , and so on . That ’ s a lot of personal information ! It is important to slow down and consider , “ What do they really need to know ?”
Today ’ s communication technologies magnify the ability to do many wonderful things . They are tools that can make life interesting and many things are faster and easier to do , but we need to take our time to consider information we share on the Internet . There is no rush to fill in information or click the “ accept ” button .
By the way , the parcel I was waiting for still arrived even though no one was home . It was on my doorstep , available to anyone passing by . Fortunately , our community is tight and neighbours watch out for each other . There is something to be said about the old-fashioned security of a good community .
Note : ARTA branches have access to funding that can go towards computer workshops on Internet safety as well as other aspects of computer use .
news & views SUMMER 2015 | 23