It seems I’ve spent a lot of time lately writing about the Surveillance Economy. This may be a strange expression to some, so I’ll define it as the use and exploitation of our location information derived from traffic surveillance cameras, new technologies like Google Glass and cell phone GPS tracking, among others. Recent topics we’ve covered include the NSA PRISM scandal, hacking Google Glass, Homeland Security’s seizures of electronic devices when crossing borders, and even drone use. Some of those may seem to be out there in a world that doesn’t affect us directly, but here’s one that hits very close to home for anyone who owns a vehicle.
The American Civil Liberties Union released a report in July of 2013 entitled You Are Being Tracked that outlines the use of automatic license plate readers. These devices, which can be mounted on police cars or on objects like road signs or overpasses, use small, high-speed cameras to photograph thousands of plates per minute. They effectively collect and store information about not only vehicles of potential or known criminals, but everybody who drives a car!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqElASBJKhw&ns?rel=0] Medical Identity Theft Expert John Sileo speaks with Fox and Friends about how to avoid medical identity theft, and whether or not it can kill you. Luckily, even if medical identity theft could theoretically kill you, there are excellent and easy steps you can take to catch it early or prevent it entirely. Watch the video and then comment below with your questions or expertise.
John Sileo is a keynote speaker and medical identity theft expert with clients that include the Pentagon, Pfizer, Blue Cross, Blue Shield and many other health and financial organizations. See other videos on Medical Identity Theft here.
It is the 12th anniversary of 9/11, and I’m writing this on the plane back to the U.S. from Canada. Flying on the anniversary didn’t make me nervous, which is a testament to my somewhat renewed trust in airline security; trust reinforced by the lack of a terrorist attack since the DOHS was formed on 9/22/01. As I snaked through 67 stressful minutes of pre-customs, customs, and security lines, I watched the gentleman next to me, dark skinned, get pulled aside for additional screening.
Normally, his detention might not have struck me; but just yesterday I learned from a New York Times investigation that when we cross an international border, our electronic devices can be confiscated, accessed and analyzed without a regular search warrant. We simply need to be flagged in a certain “list” compiled by our government. This is they type of detail that most people won’t care about until it happens to them – until the inconvenience is theirs, not a stranger’s. But we should care, because privacy-wise, we might be slipping beyond the point of difficult return.
The story about the Texas parents who were terrified when their child’s video baby monitor was hacked struck me at first as a minor incident when viewed in the whole scheme of the world of hackers. After all, it is a rare event, no one was hurt, no threats were overtly made, and the child herself even slept through the event. But when I read more about it, I became increasingly bothered by the fact that I was not initially bothered by it! I mean, is that the creepiest of all feelings, to know that a stranger is watching your kids?
And in the latest installment of “breaking news” that shouldn’t surprise you at all…
…FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III admitted that the United States has used drones over US airspace. It was the first time an FBI official publicly admitted such a program exists, but if you want to believe pop culture (the latest Bourne installment, a recent Castle episode, the Call of Duty video game), drone use is more common than we think.
What we know:
Drones (or unmanned, remotely piloted aircraft) have been used since the early 1900s, for various purposes, primarily military and law enforcement, though there are increasing demands for public use.
The Drug Enforcement Agency and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have both tested drones for use in investigations.
The Federal Aviation Administration has to approve all drone use in US airspace.
I’m in the business of encouraging people to keep their guard up. I’m always telling people to watch for signs of something that doesn’t feel quite right, take precautionary measures, and stay informed. But even I have to question the tactics some are recommending when it comes to reacting to the NSA PRISM surveillance program leaked by Edward Snowden. In a previous post on this topic, I said it isn’t a black or white argument, but some people are asking you to make it one.
Best-selling author, technology expert and Columbia Law School professor, Tim Wu, has said that web users have a responsibility to quit Internet companies like Google, Facebook, Apple, Yahoo and Skype if it is indeed verified that they have been collaborating with the NSA. In fact, Wu bluntly proclaimed, “Quit Facebook and use another search engine. It’s simple. It’s nice to keep in touch with your friends. But I think if you find out if it’s true that these companies are involved in these surveillance programs you should just quit.” Wu acknowledged that there is still much to learn about this program and admitted it was no surprise that PRISM exists, saying, “When you have enormous concentrations of data in a few hands, spying becomes very easy.”
Almost 20 billion packages will be delivered through the mail this holiday season. Even at $5 per package, that’s more than $100 Billion in value going through the mail–a scale too large and tempting for criminals to ignore.
Why do thieves target us during the holidays? In addition to the volume and value of holiday mail, criminals are taking advantage of the perfect winter storm:
Trucks are overloaded, mail & UPS carriers are overworked and shoppers are overwhelmed, which makes theft easy and attractive
Thieves take advantage not just of our good nature during the holidays, but of how distracted we are
Criminals see our generosity of giving as a goldmine waiting to be exploited
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It seems I’ve spent a lot of time lately writing about the Surveillance Economy. This may be a strange expression to some, so I’ll define it as the use and exploitation of our location information derived from traffic surveillance cameras, new technologies like Google Glass and cell phone GPS tracking, among others. Recent topics we’ve covered include the NSA PRISM scandal, hacking Google Glass, Homeland Security’s seizures of electronic devices when crossing borders, and even drone use. Some of those may seem to be out there in a world that doesn’t affect us directly, but here’s one that hits very close to home for anyone who owns a vehicle.
