Prying Eyes: Protect Your Privacy From People Who Sell to You, Snoop on You, or Steal From You

Eric J. Gertler, "Prying Eyes: Protect Your Privacy From People Who Sell to You, Snoop on You, or Steal From You"
Random House Reference | 2004 | ISBN: 0375720936 | siPDF | 448 pages | 7.3 MB

You leave an electronic trail every time you use a credit card, rent a DVD, mail in a rebate form, go to the doctor, open a bank account, or surf the Internet at home and at work.

News stories about identity theft, anti-terrorist legislation, cyber-stalking, marketing databases, and employer surveillance practices are evidence that your privacy is violated more and more every day. Using examples from real-life situations, Prying Eyes reveals how, often without your knowledge, people use your personal information to sell to you, snoop on you, and steal from you.

Eric Gertler reveals how to minimize your exposure in every facet of life–at home, at the office, on vacation, at the store, at the doctor’s office, online, and on your cell phone. Beyond reporting and speculation, Prying Eyes will empower you to take charge of your personal information before someone else does.

You will learn:
·How information about your bank account, credit, and purchases is tracked, stored, and accessed–and how to limit your exposure.
·How to protect yourself from identity theft–and how to recover if you’ve been a victim.
·Risks to your privacy at work–why it is important to separate your personal life from your business life.
·Threats to your medical files–who has access to them how they’re commonly mishandled, and how to prevent information from getting into the wrong hands.

From Publishers Weekly
Recently, the media and book authors have focused on the dangers to our privacy posed by the growing electronic network connecting all aspects of our lives, from medical records to online shopping. But Gertler offers more—practical ways to protect your privacy from invasion and your identity from theft (no small problem: according to Gertler, 10 million Americans were victims of identity theft in 2003). In this amiable and readable handbook, Gertler, an expert on privacy and identity theft and former CEO of Privista, advises on how to prevent your Social Security number from being sold on the Internet; reduce access to your credit report; and check the security on a Web site when you make a purchase, among many other tips. And if you thought your workplace was safe, Gertler details how increasingly intrusive employers are becoming—and employers, an ACLU staffer points out, are "beyond the reach of the Constitution." Gertler offers lots of scary anecdotes illustrating how easily others can gain access to your personal information and abuse it, and little sidebars highlight important points. Some may find Gertler's approach too comprehensive—they may not need the constitutional history of the right to privacy. But for patient readers who want a grasp of the issues as well as practical tips, Gertler's guide to identity security is indispensable.


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