Comments on: 5 Ways Your Gadgets Will Betray Your Privacy http://gigaom.com/2008/05/19/5-ways-your-gadgets-will-betray-you/ Tracking the Internet Evolution Sat, 11 Oct 2008 17:59:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU hourly 1 By: Court Says Police Can’t Track You Via Cell Phone - GigaOM http://gigaom.com/2008/05/19/5-ways-your-gadgets-will-betray-you/#comment-899050 Court Says Police Can’t Track You Via Cell Phone - GigaOM Fri, 12 Sep 2008 14:07:00 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13477#comment-899050 [...] for folks worried about government use of their cell phone data, although there’s still plenty of other privacy concerns out there, including police departments using GPS chips planted on suspect’s cars or shopping [...] [...] for folks worried about government use of their cell phone data, although there’s still plenty of other privacy concerns out there, including police departments using GPS chips planted on suspect’s cars or shopping [...]

]]> By: Michael Wiegand http://gigaom.com/2008/05/19/5-ways-your-gadgets-will-betray-you/#comment-879400 Michael Wiegand Wed, 21 May 2008 17:30:13 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13477#comment-879400 #4 is the most dangerous, if you ask me. What happens when George Bush decides he doesn't wanna leave the White House in after a Democrat gets elected. He'll just declare Martial Law and just have his good buddies at GM press the kill-switch on every On-Star Enabled Vehicle in the US so we can't leave the country! =P #4 is the most dangerous, if you ask me.

What happens when George Bush decides he doesn’t wanna leave the White House in after a Democrat gets elected.

He’ll just declare Martial Law and just have his good buddies at GM press the kill-switch on every On-Star Enabled Vehicle in the US so we can’t leave the country! =P

]]> By: Peter http://gigaom.com/2008/05/19/5-ways-your-gadgets-will-betray-you/#comment-879329 Peter Wed, 21 May 2008 11:54:12 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13477#comment-879329 Don't Panic! Path Intelligence is not yet in the US, and according to both the ECPA and the Communications Act of 1934, they're prohibited from monitoring your cell phone transmissions for any purpose. It's illegal to monitor cellular transmissions, including the control channel, unless you're the cellular company. If you're paranoid, keep your phone switched off, turn it on only to make calls. If you're really paranoid, take the battery out, but on all the phones I have owned, off is off. Web tracking? Easy. Erase your cookies. Use Linux and Firefox. Turn scripting off. If you're worried about chips in your license and/or passport, wrap them in aluminum foil (yes, I know). It's a cheap Faraday cage, just make sure you fold the edges over a couple of times to make good seams. Don’t Panic!

Path Intelligence is not yet in the US, and according to both the ECPA and the Communications Act of 1934, they’re prohibited from monitoring your cell phone transmissions for any purpose. It’s illegal to monitor cellular transmissions, including the control channel, unless you’re the cellular company.

If you’re paranoid, keep your phone switched off, turn it on only to make calls. If you’re really paranoid, take the battery out, but on all the phones I have owned, off is off.

Web tracking? Easy. Erase your cookies. Use Linux and Firefox. Turn scripting off.

If you’re worried about chips in your license and/or passport, wrap them in aluminum foil (yes, I know). It’s a cheap Faraday cage, just make sure you fold the edges over a couple of times to make good seams.

]]> By: Al Ias http://gigaom.com/2008/05/19/5-ways-your-gadgets-will-betray-you/#comment-879293 Al Ias Wed, 21 May 2008 04:59:32 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13477#comment-879293 Your phone regularly transmits an ID to the cell towers so the service provider can route calls to you to the correct cell. I have heard that governments can listen from your phone when they choose. That would not be difficult technically, but it would eat up battery life. The only way to be sure with a mobile phone is to remove the battery. Landline phones are much easier to use as bugs. The only way to be sure they are not active is to unplug them. I designed after theft vehicle recovery systems. The boxes kept a record of your journeys. The bosses insisted on GSM to communicate with the boxes, so the cost of getting data back to a control centre was prohibitive unless someone else was going to pay for it. The lawyers said that vehicles could only be disabled if the engine was not running. They did not want to deal with cars smashed on a level crossing. The popular way to get passwords from your computer is to used a key logger - a program that records every button you press on the keyboard and send it back to whoever controls your computer. You can reduce the effectiveness of a key logger by cutting and pasting your password instead of typing it. Your phone regularly transmits an ID to the cell towers so the service provider can route calls to you to the correct cell. I have heard that governments can listen from your phone when they choose. That would not be difficult technically, but it would eat up battery life. The only way to be sure with a mobile phone is to remove the battery. Landline phones are much easier to use as bugs. The only way to be sure they are not active is to unplug them.

I designed after theft vehicle recovery systems. The boxes kept a record of your journeys. The bosses insisted on GSM to communicate with the boxes, so the cost of getting data back to a control centre was prohibitive unless someone else was going to pay for it. The lawyers said that vehicles could only be disabled if the engine was not running. They did not want to deal with cars smashed on a level crossing.

The popular way to get passwords from your computer is to used a key logger - a program that records every button you press on the keyboard and send it back to whoever controls your computer. You can reduce the effectiveness of a key logger
by cutting and pasting your password instead of typing it.

]]> By: JonP http://gigaom.com/2008/05/19/5-ways-your-gadgets-will-betray-you/#comment-879245 JonP Tue, 20 May 2008 21:05:42 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13477#comment-879245 You don't need protection for ID cards after you microwave them for a second or more. You don’t need protection for ID cards after you microwave them for a second or more.

]]> By: jack waldron http://gigaom.com/2008/05/19/5-ways-your-gadgets-will-betray-you/#comment-879225 jack waldron Tue, 20 May 2008 17:59:48 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13477#comment-879225 Don't try lead wallets to keep those id cards from "transmitting" data. Buy a Faraday cage insert. Any device inside a Faraday cage won't be able to transmit data. They have them for Passports also. It should be standard equipment in today's wallets. Don’t try lead wallets to keep those id cards from “transmitting” data. Buy a Faraday cage insert. Any device inside a Faraday cage won’t be able to transmit data. They have them for Passports also. It should be standard equipment in today’s wallets.

]]> By: nomadchief http://gigaom.com/2008/05/19/5-ways-your-gadgets-will-betray-you/#comment-879206 nomadchief Tue, 20 May 2008 16:31:11 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13477#comment-879206 Very nice list and absolutely correct, but far from comprehensive, of course. As it stands, your every step is being monitored, stored, gauged and compared by what's justifiably termed "Big Brother" forces these days. Time for a rethink and a restructuring of your behavioral strategies if you don't want to end up as cannon fodder in the war for "security" the nanny state and all the corporate powers profiting therefrom is waging on us all. Very nice list and absolutely correct, but far from comprehensive, of course.
As it stands, your every step is being monitored, stored, gauged and compared by what’s justifiably termed “Big Brother” forces these days. Time for a rethink and a restructuring of your behavioral strategies if you don’t want to end up as cannon fodder in the war for “security” the nanny state and all the corporate powers profiting therefrom is waging on us all.

]]> By: Stacey Higginbotham http://gigaom.com/2008/05/19/5-ways-your-gadgets-will-betray-you/#comment-879170 Stacey Higginbotham Tue, 20 May 2008 13:14:13 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13477#comment-879170 @Liz, if the phone is off it's not communicating with the cell towers so yes that should work. @Liz, if the phone is off it’s not communicating with the cell towers so yes that should work.

]]> By: Liz http://gigaom.com/2008/05/19/5-ways-your-gadgets-will-betray-you/#comment-879102 Liz Tue, 20 May 2008 03:19:49 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13477#comment-879102 I've heard you can disable those phone trackers but keeping your phone shut off. Is this true? Or does it still emit a signal that can be picked up by marketers? I’ve heard you can disable those phone trackers but keeping your phone shut off. Is this true? Or does it still emit a signal that can be picked up by marketers?

]]> By: Ben http://gigaom.com/2008/05/19/5-ways-your-gadgets-will-betray-you/#comment-879072 Ben Mon, 19 May 2008 23:10:03 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13477#comment-879072 Just wait till we get RFID tags put in all our heads! Just wait till we get RFID tags put in all our heads!

]]> By: martin.musculus http://gigaom.com/2008/05/19/5-ways-your-gadgets-will-betray-you/#comment-879063 martin.musculus Mon, 19 May 2008 21:58:23 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13477#comment-879063 As I told my wife -- forget to pay a few parking tickets? Your car is disabled... coutesy of OnStar(tm)! - musculus As I told my wife — forget to pay a few parking tickets? Your car is disabled… coutesy of OnStar(tm)!

- musculus

]]> By: simspace http://gigaom.com/2008/05/19/5-ways-your-gadgets-will-betray-you/#comment-879057 simspace Mon, 19 May 2008 21:18:06 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13477#comment-879057 Lead wallets, anyone? Lead wallets, anyone?

]]> By: CrunchGear » Archive » More fodder for your privacy invasion arguments http://gigaom.com/2008/05/19/5-ways-your-gadgets-will-betray-you/#comment-879044 CrunchGear » Archive » More fodder for your privacy invasion arguments Mon, 19 May 2008 20:30:29 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=13477#comment-879044 [...] has a list called 5 Ways Your Gadgets Will Betray Your Privacy, which should reinforce the idea that you can pretty much be followed unless you move off the grid. [...] [...] has a list called 5 Ways Your Gadgets Will Betray Your Privacy, which should reinforce the idea that you can pretty much be followed unless you move off the grid. [...]

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