Seguridad y privacidad

1) Do not reveal personal information inadvertently.

You may be "shedding" personal details, including e-mail addressesand other contact information, without even knowing it unless youproperly configure your Web browser. In your browser's "Setup","Options" or "Preferences" menus, you may wish to use a pseudonym instead of your real name, andnot enter an e-mail address, nor provide other personally identifiable information that you don't wish to share. When visiting a site youtrust you can choose to give them your info, in forms on their site;there is no need for your browser to potentially make this information available to all comers.

2) Turn on cookie notices in your Web browser, and/or use cookie management software or infomediaries.

"Cookies" are tidbits of information that Web sites store on your computer, temporarily or more-or-less permanently. In many cases cookies are useful and inocuous. They may be passwords and user IDs, so that you do not have to keep retyping them every time you load a new page at the site that issued the cookie. Other cookies however, can be used for "data mining" purposes, to track your motions through a Web site, the time you spend there, what links you click on and other details that the company wants to record, usually for marketing purposes. Most cookies can only be read by the party that created them. However, some companies that manage online banner advertising are, in essence, cookie sharing rings. They can track which pages you load, which ads you click on, etc., and share this information with all of their client Web sites (who may number in the hundreds, even thousands.) Browsers are starting to allow user control over cookies.

3) Keep a "clean" e-mail address.

it is best to do this from a "side" account, some pseudonymous or simply alternate address, and to use your main or preferred address only on small, members-only lists and with known, trusted individuals. Addresses that are posted (even as part of message headers) in public spaces can be easily discovered by spammers (online junk mailers) and added to their list of targets

4) Don't reveal personal details to strangers or just-met

"friends".

The speed of Internet communication is often mirrored in rapid online acquaintanceships and friendships. But it is important to realize that you don't really know who these people are or what they are like in real life.

6) Beware sites that offer some sort of reward or prize in exchange for your personal information.

There's a very high probability that they are gathering this information for direct marketing purposes. In many cases your name and address are worth much more to them because they can sell it to other marketers (who can do the same in turn...) than what you are (supposedly) getting from them. Be especially wary of sweepstakes and contests. You probably won't win, but the marketer sure will if you give them your information

7) Do not reply to spammers, for any reason.

"Spam", or unsolicited bulk e-mail, is something you are probably already familiar with (and tired of). If you get a spammed advertisment, certainly don't take the sender up on whatever offer they are making, but also don't bother replying with "REMOVE" in the subject line, or whatever (probably bogus) unsubscribe instructions you've been given). This simply confirms that your address is being read by a real person, and you'll find yourself on dozens more spammers' lists in no time.

11) Remember that YOU decide what information about yourself to

reveal, when, why, and to whom.

Don't give out personally-identifiable information too easily. Just as

you might think twice about giving some clerk

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