Karen Renaud: No such thing as online privacy

This is an opinion piece for Safer Internet Day by Professor Karen Renaud, Professor of Cyber Security at Abertay University

Those born in the first half of the 20^th century lived in a simpler world than we do. They operated in two distinct zones: public and private. They knew that there were potential dangers to both their personal security and privacy in the public zone, and they took precautions accordingly. When they entered their private zone, with the doors barred, they could be pretty sure that their privacy was assured, and that they could use physical measures to ensure that they and their belongs were secure. In essence, the dangers were visible, as were the countermeasures.

The Internet era has catapulted into a new world, which is as fundamentally different from that of our grandparents as it could be. It’s a whole new ball game. The distinction between public and private zones is blurred and the threats are different from the ones we and our parents and grandparents were accustomed to dealing with.

Don’t worry though – it’s just a matter of changing our way of looking at security and privacy: donning a modern pair of spectacles, as it were. In the first place, we have to abandon any idea that the threats are visible, so we cannot rely on the old traditional measures to protect ourselves. In the second place, we should embrace this new era and realise that we can indeed cope: this is not the time for head-in-the-sand tactics. The Internet is an essential part of our world – we just need to figure out how best to manage the risks.

Three quick tips for protecting yourself in the new world:

Anything that you have in your home that connects to the Internet can be targeted by invisible hackers. Prevent that by changing the device password – use a good lengthy password. This is especially important for your own router. Write it on a post it and attach it to the device – you’re defending yourself from outsiders, not those in your own home.
The new GDPR regulations put the power into your hands. So, if you install an app on your phone, limit the permissions you grant. Only give each app what YOU think they really need to do what you want them to do. You’re the best judge, so follow your gut.
There is no such thing as a private space any more if you use the Internet. Anything you do online (pictures you post, emails, etc.) should be considered public. So, act as if some invisible stranger is looking over your shoulder all the time, and might well take what you’re doing and splash it all over the newspapers. You will save yourself a great deal of embarrassment if you act as if this could happen.

The UK government issues very helpful and trustworthy advice. If you’re worried about anything cyber related, you will probably find what you need here: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/.

To find out about studying Ethical Hacking at Abertay visit: https://www.abertay.ac.uk/course-search/undergraduate/ethical-hacking/