In my recent message about “Safe Surfing” I said that Internet pornography is so addicting because it is accessible, affordable and anonymous. My reference to anonymity triggered a thoughtful response from Steve, a regular worshipper at Hope Fellowship. Essentially, his message is a reminder that there is no such thing as anonymous surfing on the World Wide Web.
“I really enjoyed Sunday’s sermon, but I did want to send you a bit of information that you may want to pass on.
“The term ‘anonymous’ is often used to describe browsing on the Internet. People feel that they are just nameless users with no real identity. The truth is actually very different and people should know that their surfing is not as anonymous as they think. I say this based on a recent work assignment where I managed an Internet security group for over 5 years.
“If an organization or the authorities have reason to do so, they can track your access directly to the computer in your house. Your access is logged by your Internet provider and is kept for some period of time. I doubt it's very long due to the volume of data, but it’s legally required. That's one way the police catch people who access child porn sites and the like.
“Banks and commercial institutions spend millions to ensure that their sites are "safe" by carefully managing and protecting the identity of users and safeguarding them from malicious software, etc. But our personal information ( i.e. SIN and Social Security numbers, etc.) can easily be stolen if the builder of a web-site has the brains to target certain information. I know this to be the case because I had a friend whose identity was stolen when a thief used his Social Security number to get credit cards in his name. He filed a complaint with the local police department. After some awkward questions, the detective told my friend that his information was probably stolen at a porn site, the most common place to target. So apart from the morality of this kind of behaviour, there’s a very practical reason to avoid treading on the wrong side of the tracks.
“The term ‘anonymous’ is often used to describe browsing on the Internet. People feel that they are just nameless users with no real identity. The truth is actually very different and people should know that their surfing is not as anonymous as they think. I say this based on a recent work assignment where I managed an Internet security group for over 5 years.
“If an organization or the authorities have reason to do so, they can track your access directly to the computer in your house. Your access is logged by your Internet provider and is kept for some period of time. I doubt it's very long due to the volume of data, but it’s legally required. That's one way the police catch people who access child porn sites and the like.
“Banks and commercial institutions spend millions to ensure that their sites are "safe" by carefully managing and protecting the identity of users and safeguarding them from malicious software, etc. But our personal information ( i.e. SIN and Social Security numbers, etc.) can easily be stolen if the builder of a web-site has the brains to target certain information. I know this to be the case because I had a friend whose identity was stolen when a thief used his Social Security number to get credit cards in his name. He filed a complaint with the local police department. After some awkward questions, the detective told my friend that his information was probably stolen at a porn site, the most common place to target. So apart from the morality of this kind of behaviour, there’s a very practical reason to avoid treading on the wrong side of the tracks.
“The moral of the story? The seedier the site, the more you expose yourself to viruses, malware and identity theft. With the exception of a very commercialized site such as YouTube, all audio and video sites are very vulnerable to attacks that can not only disable or damage your computer but also steal your tax and bank information, and much more.
“You covered the moral and spiritual rules on Sunday. Here are some ‘practical’ points to remember as well.
- Pastor Peter and Steve
“You covered the moral and spiritual rules on Sunday. Here are some ‘practical’ points to remember as well.
- You are not alone or anonymous.
- Going to questionable web sites is like walking in bad neighborhoods. Bad things happen.
- Generally if you are not looking for trouble - you probably will not find it. Google or Hope Fellowship’s website, for example, are not programmed to steal your information.
- You need to be extremely careful when disclosing personal information (e.g. SIN, birthdays, addresses ). Malicious websites are the tools of people who steal identities.
- Always remember how much personal information is stored on your computer. Keep this in mind when making your decisions.”
- Pastor Peter and Steve
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