Anonymity and Privacy on the Web: What Users Need to Know

Anonymity and privacy have become big issues when it comes to using the Web. In this article, MedZilla addresses some misconceptions about how anonymous people are when surfing the net and how to take advantage of the Internets benefits without sacrificing privacy. This article offers simple tips from a privacy expert, including how to know if a site is secure.

Marysville, WA December 5, 2003 -- The Internet has given people a world of new options for managing their lives and lifestyles, but that newfound freedom brings with it new obstacles. Job-seeking, banking and shopping activities can all expose Internet users to anonymity and privacy issues. By using simple steps, Web users can minimize those concerns and maximize the convenience and efficiency of the Web.

The Internet has made life so much easier, says Frank Heasley, PhD, president and CEO of MedZilla.com, a leading Internet recruitment and professional community that serves biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare and science. With a click of the mouse, a job candidate can reach hundreds of interested employers and recruiters; you can shop for items in the comfort of your home, pay your bills via the Web, make flight reservations in minutes and communicate effortlessly with coworkers, family or friends on the other side of the globe. But the Internet is a powerful tool, and like any powerful tool it needs to be used with caution.

Finding a job

Jordana Beebe, communications director of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a consumer information and advocacy group based in San Diego, Calif., says there are rules of thumb when posting resumes online.

She says that prospective employees need to be careful about the kind of information they post online. Were discovering that there are data miners or direct marketers who will specifically go through various types of job postings on the Internet to glean consumers telephone numbers, names, addresses and email addresses, Beebe says. What we are recommending to consumers is that they decrease the amount of personal information they post online regarding their whereabouts, names and phone numbers. In general, if you are going to post your resume online, use a throwaway type of email address that you use specifically to post resumes, so when you do find a job, you will not be deluged by emails from 'spammers.'

She warns that people shouldnt think they can post resumes on the Web without their current employers finding out. To minimize that possibility, candidates can take simple precautions, including using their first initials and last names, rather than their full names.

Job seekers should always check the privacy policy of resume Web sites, and pay close attention to how long those sites store resumes. Before you even post the resume, check and make sure you can delete the resume after youve gotten the job, she says.

Post your resume sparingly, Beebe says, and focus on the quality of job boards and not the quantity. Hand pick a handful of sites that have good privacy policies and keep a good track record, she says. Use sites that other people in your profession have had good luck with and post only the sites that will allow you to mask your contact information.

Never put your social security number on your resume, she adds, and omit references on Web-based resumes.

Weve learned about the importance of privacy during our decade as a job board, says Michele Groutage, MedZillas director of marketing. Today, job candidates who sign on with us are assigned a MedZilla e-mail address. So, anytime a MedZilla subscriber searches our candidates resumes and sends them notes, the e-mails first go through MedZilla to ensure that theyre approved users and really contacting the candidates about jobs.

MedZilla has recently taken additional steps to protect the privacy of its job candidates. Our resumes are trade secrets, Groutage explains, meaning if anyone is caught taking them and using them for other purposes, they could go to jail for a federal offense..

Heading off cookies

You might think youre surfing the Web anonymously, but youre really not. Unless you use a software or program that heads off cookies, Web sites that you visit might be gathering data on you without your knowledge. Cookies are small pieces of data that let Web sites know your e-mail address, which incoming page you entered the Web site from, how often you visit, how many pages you look ateven where you went after leaving the Web site. Sometimes cookies are helpfulthey might store a password so that you dont have to input it every time you visit a site, or they might greet you when you enter a page. But, overall, Web users should try to minimize cookies if they want to stay anonymous.

If you are using the Web without having some type of anonymous surfing software, you are undoubtedly picking up cookies and you are undoubtedly providing information to those Web hosts, Beebe says.

Most software brokers charge to fend off cookies. And while the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse doesnt believe that consumers should pay to remain anonymous on the Web, the group thinks Web users should be aware of the option and it offers a list of such services at www.privacyrights.org.

Making purchases

Anyone who wants to remain totally anonymous on the Web should not provide any sort of personal information on online forms, including those used to make purchases and request information.

If, however, youre willing to provide the information in order to benefit from the convenience and efficiency of the Web, Beebe says you should first read that sites privacy policy and find out what the site will do with your information once it has been collected. Some Web sites release or sell information to businesses or other third parties.

Online purchasers should take a few safety precautions into consideration, Beebe says. First, make sure the connection over which you are providing that information is secure. There are two ways of checking for that: one is to look for the little lock sign in the lower left hand corner of the screen. If the padlock looks like its locked, then you are on a secure page. The other place to check is the address line. If there is an s after the http, then the site is secure.

Beebe checks with the Better Business Bureau when considering doing business with a company that she has not heard about. You can check the Better Business Bureau online and see what kind of records companies have with other consumers by visiting www.bbb.org.

The privacy organization recommends that anyone using a credit card to make online purchases should have a separate credit card that they use only for Internet transactions. So, if for some reason that credit card does get into the wrong hands, you can terminate the credit card with no problem but you can still have that backup credit card account in case you need access, she says. It also makes it a lot easier when youre going through your itemized monthly statement to make sure that all the purchases on there are actually yours.

Beebe says that giving credit card information to a credible business is not as dangerous as some might think. In fact, its one of the safer ways to make purchases online. A federal banking law says that the actual account holder can only be held accountable for up to $50 of the charges of a stolen credit card. Thats actually a really important point because what this basically says is that if you are concerned about fraud on the Internet, using a credit card is one of the safer ways to make transactions. Thats in distinction of using a debit card from a bank. If you use a debit card from a bank, you do not get the same protection as you do with a credit cardeven if it has a Visa or MasterCard symbol on it, Beebe says.

Maintaining privacy

Conducting online banking is usually a secure endeavor, Beebe says. And credible banks are generally helpful when fraud occurs. Still, the organization recommends that anyone who is uncomfortable with doing their banking online should continue to use the traditional ways of check writing and mailing the checks.

Even buying personal products, like medicines, can be done with reasonable privacy on the Web, she says. To some degree, the Web is more private than having a face-to-face transaction.

Chatting

We actually get complaints from all too many people about chat rooms, Beebe says. The simple and safe rule with chat rooms is: Once you chat, your information is there for all to see. Dont write anything that you wouldnt mind posting in public.

The bottom line, Beebe says, is if you really want anonymity or have to communicate with someone about something really private, use the good ol phone or have a face-to-face conversation.

About MedZilla.com

Established in mid 1994, MedZilla is the original web site to serve career and hiring needs for professionals and employers in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medicine, science and healthcare. MedZilla databases contain about 10,000 open positions, 13,000 resumes from candidates actively seeking new positions and 50,000 archived resumes.

Medzilla is a Registered Trademark owned by Medzilla Inc. Copyright 2003, MedZilla, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce and distribute this text in its entirety, and if electronically, with a link to the URL www.medzilla.com. For permission to quote from or reproduce any portion of this message, please contact Michele Groutage, Director of Marketing and Development, MedZilla, Inc. Email: e-mail protected from spam bots.

Press Inquiries:
Contact: Michele Groutage
Company: MedZilla, Inc.
Title: Director of Marketing & Development
Phone: 360-657-5681
Email: e-mail protected from spam bots
URL: http://www.medzilla.com

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