Com125: Privacy

My own definition of privacy is having personal information kept personal without others knowing. According to an online site called Answers.com, privacy is "the quality or condition of being secluded from the presence or view of others; the state of being free from unsanctioned intrusion: a person's right to privacy; the state of being concealed; secrecy." Along with the development of the internet came development of breaching privacy of others. Who knows when you are really secure and your information is really safe?

As seen on msnbc.com, under title 'Privacy Lost: Does anybody care?' "perhaps someone will casually glance through your credit card purchases or cell phone bills, or a political consultant might select you for special attention based on personal data purchased from a vendor." When it comes to my finances and my identity, I am freightened by what could happen by someone breaching my privacy. Not too long ago, there was a situation with the DSW Shoe Warehouse store, where someone stole the entire client list and all of their credit card information. If you have purchased shoes from there, chances are, your information was included. As being an occasional shopper of this store, I was extremely nervous and upset about this. Luckily, I did not end up having problems with my credit card in result of this upsetting incident.

Another point I would like to make inolves my student loan information which is mostly done through transactions via the internet. One of the sites I use on a regular basis is through AES, the American Education Services site. I feel more at ease using this site because every time you log on to view your information, you are prompted to answer a series of random questions that you have previously created. I think and hope that this will prevent others from hacking into my information; all of my personal information. I do not know much about hacking into a system, but I hope to God that the measures that sites like AES take are enough to protect me against all the selfish, greedy, crazy people who like to steal the information of others.

Because of the people who destroy the privacy, really, what is 100% private anymore? It's hard to imagine what is going to happen in the years to come ...will something be done about the lack of privacy and the protection of people will be easier to maintain, or those who hack into information of others will only get better at it? I'm afraid that choice "B" is going to be the case. With everything that is happening on the internet; for example online banking, is this going to be more of a risk than a positive advancement? I feel happy banking online because it is quicker and more efficient than killing a tree each time I get a statement in the mail. I am worried, though, that these efficient ways of doing things will be destroyed by selfish people. What is the world coming to?