I'm out for a walk taking some pictures and he stops to chat me up. We exchanged email addresses and now I'm regretting it BIG time.
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posted by redindiaink
on Apr 20, 2013 -
31 answers
Open source software is considered trustworthy because anyone can validate the source code and hold the developer accountable. Usually developers will also make compiled binaries available for convenience. How can we know that these binaries are compiled from the
same source code the developer published, and not a malicious variant of it?
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posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis
on Feb 26, 2013 -
17 answers
Android apps seem to grab permissions that I have no desire to give them. My understanding is that the permissions per app are all bundled together: it's all or nothing. At least officially. Is there another way?
Also, is there a privacy watchdog site that will help me find apps that actually respect my privacy and support/purchase them over those that do not? [more inside]
posted by jsturgill
on Feb 19, 2013 -
3 answers
I want to only share my identity with the tax man when I write, and allow people to pay me online. How do I do this?
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posted by anonymous
on Feb 13, 2013 -
8 answers
My department is being mandated to start using Google+ and some other Google apps. Please help me think through the security and privacy implications of what I am afraid might become a real mess.
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posted by jbickers
on Feb 4, 2013 -
9 answers
Please help me understand the difference (or non-difference) in safety for Firefox vs. Chrome browser extensions (plugins/add-ons).
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posted by pavane
on Nov 5, 2012 -
3 answers
A friend has had an old Hotmail account hacked. The hacker used information in the archives there to access a YouTube account where apparently some compromising videos were uploaded. The hacker copied the videos to another YouTube account, and then sent links to the videos to my friend's family - and worse still, to members of the executive board of the nonprofit organization by whom my friend is (was?) employed. He reached out desperately to me, but I know nothing but the most basic things about Internet security and privacy law...
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posted by OneMonkeysUncle
on Jul 31, 2012 -
13 answers
Please help me find the password management solution I'm hoping exists: the ability to automatically, dynamically sync a specific folder of passwords between accounts w/o involving Dropbox.
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posted by pavane
on Mar 20, 2012 -
1 answer
I am seeking ideas on guidelines for internet usage and privacy for a 12-year-old girl. She is pretty internet-savvy but not publicly sharing info yet (just email), and I'd like to guide her well as she begins to do so.
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posted by marble
on Feb 11, 2012 -
13 answers
Looking to implement the most effective reasonable set of best practices for preserving internet privacy and blocking commercial data harvesting. Seeking tips, tricks, hacks, and useful online resources.
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posted by spitbull
on Nov 16, 2011 -
5 answers
I am looking for advice to come up with a technological solution for a physician’s office in NB, Canada. The scenario is that I would like patient files to be accessible remotely while still satisfying health privacy laws (PIPEDA), especially the part about patient records having to be stored in Canada.
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posted by carolr
on Nov 9, 2011 -
4 answers
I want to access my personal diary from anywhere - and keep it as secure as possible at the same time. Here's my idea on how to do this...what do you think?
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posted by jspierre
on Jul 1, 2011 -
19 answers
Can I sue my former employer for leaking my social security number, email address and physical address?
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posted by UMDirector
on Feb 19, 2011 -
15 answers
I sometimes see sketchy links that automatically post that you "like" them on Facebook when you click on them. How harmful are they, exactly? What can I do to prevent them from showing up?
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posted by Metroid Baby
on Jun 29, 2010 -
3 answers
I have a bunch of old hard drives with personal data in them that I want to dispose of. What's the safest way of doing it?
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posted by falameufilho
on Apr 25, 2010 -
28 answers
How is it legal to post people's social security numbers on the internet for everyone to see?
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posted by rubberkey
on Jun 9, 2009 -
6 answers
How can a competent but not technical geek person browse internet as securely and privately as possible, keep files private on a pc etc? Linux distro? specifics -
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posted by Not Supplied
on Jun 8, 2009 -
12 answers
Are there any sources via programs, web browsers, firefox add-ons, or web services that allow someone to truly surf anonymously?
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posted by randomthoughts
on Apr 24, 2009 -
6 answers
Are applications on Facebook safe or should I worry about sharing my profile information with every application out there?
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posted by randomthoughts
on Mar 9, 2009 -
8 answers
So, I may have found a solution to
this issue, but I'd like some input from those of you with greater insight into internet security & privacy issues.
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posted by goshling
on Sep 15, 2008 -
2 answers
How long will it take to do a 7 pass US DoD 5220 Compliant data wipe on a 120 GB Hard Drive?
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posted by meta.mark
on Feb 6, 2008 -
7 answers
When my browsing and downloading is "encrypted," who or what am I protecting myself from?
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posted by Avenger50
on Jan 9, 2008 -
18 answers
As part of my work for a client I've begun researching online privacy, cryptography, and other sundry ways of protecting oneself online. And I'm now completely creeped out and must switch NOW to uncrackable passwords, multiple email accounts, encrypting the crap out of everything I do, and generally making sure that only the things I want public on the internet are publicly accessible. But we run into the question - how do I do that without driving myself nuts trying to remember my passwords, convince everyone I know to use encrypted communication, and maintain a reasonable amount of privacy in my web surfing? And how do I do that after 8 years of webwhorage where I wasn't too concerned who knew what about me?
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posted by saysthis
on Dec 28, 2007 -
15 answers
I love Gmail, but with all the security and privacy concerns, I'm thinking of bailing. Whereto next?
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posted by melissam
on Dec 25, 2007 -
15 answers
My friends just moved into a lovely, renovated duplex. Now they find themselves under surveillance--from their duplex mate. What to do?
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posted by anonymous
on Sep 17, 2007 -
63 answers
I don't like that Firefox knows my credit card number. How do I make it forget and not relearn this information?
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posted by aburd
on Feb 10, 2007 -
8 answers
Is there any way to check if someone else has been accessing your GMail account?
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posted by sindark
on Jan 6, 2007 -
36 answers
I'm dropping my laptop off for service--what do I need to do to protect myself?
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posted by divka
on Jul 8, 2006 -
10 answers
I have a desktop that is located in a semi-public place. I have a bios password and a windows password on it. Sometimes I leave it logged out of windows so that I can leave in the middle of a project without restarting everything again. I was wondering how hard it would be to get my data? Short of stealing the actual hardware, is there a way to get past a bios password and access my data without me knowing? (From what I understand, resetting the cmos would clear the password so I would know if someone got in.) Also, is it possible to get in if I leave it logged out of windows with a password? How safe is my data?
posted by D Wiz
on Jun 5, 2006 -
28 answers
Does it bother you to click on Yahoo! links and unexpectedly see your Yahoo! name on the screen because you prefer to store your Yahoo (enough with the exclamation point already) password in a cookie?
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posted by mono blanco
on Dec 18, 2005 -
19 answers
Being a non-US citizen that has family living in the continental US I have noticed that border traversal has been getting exceedingly difficult and more intrusive. However, the
US-VISIT program seems to take it a little far (IMO).
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posted by purephase
on May 16, 2005 -
20 answers
How accessible should the archives of one's blog be? In terms of privacy and security, are there certain things that should not be able to be Googled?
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posted by themadjuggler
on Feb 28, 2005 -
11 answers
Web browser cookies. Is it worthwhile to examine each one as it comes, or is the average person who fears cookies from unknown sources really wasting their time? Please attack or defend
this. How do you find the balance between protecting your browsing history from marketers and surfing quickly and efficiently? Not looking for shaving tips.
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posted by bingo
on May 13, 2004 -
9 answers
