Do not reveal personal information inadvertently.
You may be "shedding" personal details, including e-mail addresses and other
contact information, without even knowing it unless you properly configure your
Web browser. In your browser's "Setup", "Options" or "Preferences" menus, you
may wish to use a pseudonym instead of your real name, and not enter an e-mail
address, nor provide other personally identifiable information that you don't
wish to share. When visiting a site you trust you can choose to give them your
info, in forms on their site; there is no need for your browser to potentially
make this information available to all comers. Also be on the lookout for
system-wide "Internet defaults" programs on your computer (some examples include
Window's Internet Control Panel, and MacOS's Configuration Manager, and the
third-party Mac utility named Internet Config). While they are useful for
various things, like keeping multiple Web browers and other Internet tools
consistent in how the treat downloaded files and such, they should probably also
be anonymized just like your browser itself, if they contain any fields for
personal information. Households with children may have an additional "security
problem" - have you set clear rules for your kids, so that they know not to
reveal personal information unless you OK it on a site-by-site basis?
Peter Cali on 07 Sep 09The PCI Security Standards Council's mission is to enhance payment account data security by driving education and awareness of the PCI Security Standards. The organization was founded by American Express, Discover Financial Services, JCB International, MasterCard Worldwide, and Visa, Inc.
