Ceci est une ancienne révision du document !
Let me start with a huge disclaimer. I am not a security expert. I'm a long-time computer user, and, like most people, would like to think that my activities on the Internet are, for the most part, private and secure. But privacy and security are very different from each other. Let’s start with privacy.
Through history, when technology gets involved, privacy on some level is given up for the sake of convenience. As an example, here in the States, early in our history, if you wanted to get a message to someone far away, you sent a letter. Very private, but it took weeks, and sometimes months, to get that message to a person. We didn't have any technology to speed things up.
Then along came the telegraph. Now we have technology! We got our message across the lands, but first you had to hand that message to someone who then had to read it and telegraph it on until it reached its destination. Then someone on the other end wrote it down and delivered it. Less private, but much faster. We just took it for granted that all these people were of good character and didn't disclose the content of said message to anyone who would listen.
Then along came the telephone, but not like today’s phone systems. Those who had phones shared the lines with others in their area. These were known as party lines. One could easily pick up the handset and listen in on others’ conversations. Again, some privacy was given up for the ability to talk to and hear the voice of a loved one far away.
Fortunately, we still have the ability to get a private message to somebody: we mail a letter. Slower, but technology affects only the speed of delivery, not the content of the message.
In the age of the Internet, we again took it for granted that when we searched the Internet or hit the send button, the email or text message we want to send just magically arrives at its destination in mere seconds, and since it’s an electronic digital message, privacy was always expected. But we were wrong. Not only are others interested in what we say, but also on what we do on the Internet. Here again, technology has reared it ugly head and privacy takes a hit.
Security, on the other hand, are the tools we use to try to make our message, the computer, and our lives, private. If we go back to that letter we sent in olden times, we might have used a wax seal with an imprint of some form to ensure that the recipient of said letter would know that it wasn't opened. Party telephone lines became private lines. Total privacy was never ensured, but we took it for granted that it was.
Now, in the Internet age, most of us go about our day taking for granted that others are watching out for us. We trust that our computers are secure because we update them regularly. We install antivirus and anti-malware software, firewalls, passwords, encryption, put locks on our doors and blinds on our windows. These are all just the tools of security to help keep parts of our lives private. Keeping your computer updated helps keep the unwanted at bay, but most security breakdowns are usually caused by the user, not the computer or software.
So where am I going with this… you might ask. As we should all know by now, “almost” everyone and everything on the Internet wants a little piece of our privacy. From search engines to retail sites to the recently released Windows 10, everyone thinks that they know what is best for you and aims to provide it to you with every click of the mouse, wanted or not. My government, and probably yours, has a vested interest in what people are doing on or with the Internet.
What we need to ask ourselves is how much privacy are we willing to give up to use the Internet. Some would say we shouldn't have to give up any at all. Others find all this tracking to be a useful service. Is the digital highway all that much different than a real highway? Do you care if someone sees you going to town, or only if they see you going into that establishment that only adults frequent?
If you are using a laptop with a USB stick loaded up with the Tails operating system, going from Wi-Fi spot to Wi-Fi spot in different towns, then privacy is high on your list. If you never bother with updates, and are signed up to sites like Facebook or Twitter, and have a need to post pictures of that new flat screen TV and Tweeting about going on vacation for a week starting Saturday, then privacy or security isn't a top priority.
We all view privacy differently, and conduct our lives based on that view. Do your homework, and ask questions, as you find the right balance of privacy, security and usefulness you want from your computing and phone facilities. Issues with privacy and security will be with us for some time. Don't just take them for granted, no matter how convenient they are.