That Google privacy breach … what does it mean?
The street view photography vehicles driven throughout the country to acquire data for Google maps inadvertently collected more information than expected from consumers who have insecure wireless Internet connections.
“I don’t think that our biggest concern should be Google, but it does raise a security issue that we should all be concerned about. And that is if you have a wireless router … is it secured?”
Privacy Expert Joe Campana says it’s important to have the proper security measures, otherwise anyone can get access to your Internet connection and your confidential information.
The identity theft guru says some folks drive around the neighborhood until they find free Internet access to surf the net on their laptop. “WiFi connections in my neighborhood — this is a residential neighborhood … one out of five was unprotected, meaning that I could actually get in and use or connect to.”
Some lawmakers call it a big brother-like invasion of privacy, and ask the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate it. Consumers want to know how much of their data might have been collected, and viewed, and for what purpose. Campana says it’s important to use a password — a good one. And, he says, turn on the security feature that uses a high level of encryption.
“It encrypts those wireless, those radio messages, so that even if they are intercepted it just looks like gobbledygook to people. There’s no information in there that they can actually decipher.”
A representative from Google says the data collection was unintentional. Campana says it’s a good lesson about security for all of us.
Joe Campana is the author of “Privacy Makeover: The Essential Guide to Best Practices.” The privacy expert also writes a regular column for the Examiner.