Personal
Security
on the Internet

Introduction to this topic
What people can find out about you on the Net
Steps you can take to protect yourself
What to do if you have problems
Glossary of security and privacy terms

Links to privacy groups and more info
Index to this site

PDF version of this site for downloading

Links to Privacy Groups, Tools, and Other Information

Books and archives

  • Bandits on the Information Superhighway, by Daniel J. Barrett. Published by O'Reilly and Associates, 1996. A guide to safe surfing on the Internet.
  • The Cuckoo's Egg, by Clifford Stoll. Published by Doubleday, 1989. A highly recommended text about a real hacker espionage story that made international headlines in 1988. An interesting story, a modern classic, and a "must read" for anyone interested in security issues.
  • Cliff Stoll's Performance Art Theater and Networking Security Revue - This audio online presentation tells the story of how the discovery of a 75-cent accounting error led to an electronic chase of an unauthorized hacker across the networks of North America and Europe, ultimately uncovering a KGB spy ring. (This is an audio version of the story told in the book, The Cuckoo's Egg.)
  • The EFF hacker archives - Hacker articles and books at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
  • Electronic Frontier Outlaw Fringe - Archives and links to: Outlaws, cracking, hacking, bombs, viruses, and other fringe interests.
  • Hacker Crackdown by Bruce Sterling. The online version of an early 1990's accounting of hacker and cracker activity, and efforts to to stop them.
  • Loompanics Catalog Index - A catalog of unusual books, including information on privacy issues and self-protection, as well as many topics of fringe interests.
  • Protection and Defense of Intrusion - This paper given as a talk at the US Air Force Academy gives a brief overview of information system security vulnerabilities and countermeasures. It outlines why systems are vulnerable to intrusion, common methods of attack, and tools the attacker can draw upon.

Email and anonymous remailers

Encrytion tools

Georgia's "Net police" law

EFF, ACLU and EF-Georgia challenge GA state "Net police" law on constitutional grounds (Sept. 24, 1996)

Organizations

  • The Center for Democracy and Technology - The Center for Democracy and Technology is a non-profit public interest organization based in Washington, DC. CDT's mission is to develop and advocate public policies that advance constitutional civil liberties and democratic values in new computer and communications technologies.
  • The Electronic Frontier Foundation is a non-profit civil liberties organization working in the public interest to protect privacy, free expression, and access to public resources and information online, as well as to promote responsibility in new media.
  • Internet Privacy Coalition - The mission of the Internet Privacy Coalition is to promote privacy and security on the Internet through widespread public availability of strong encryption and the relaxation of export controls on cryptography.
  • NFIC - INTERNET FRAUD WATCH, Daily Reports from the National Fraud Information Center.
  • Privacy International Home Page - formed in 1990 as a watchdog on surveillance by governments and corporations to counter abuses of privacy by way of information technology.
  • PrivNet, Inc. - Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) software for email and telephone encryption.
Online purchasing info
  • Blacklist of Internet Advertisers - updated every 3-4 weeks, lists companies & individuals who post inappropriate ads on usenet newsgroups.
  • First Virtual - "The simple, safe and secure online commerce system that doesn't transmit your credit card number over the Internet."
Posting to Usenet

Privacy tools and links

Web browsing tools and cookie info

  • The anonymizer acts as a proxy service to cover up your personal information as you surf the Web.
  • CDT Privacy Demonstration Page is a convincing demonstration from the Center for Democracy and Technology of what other computers can find out about you through an Internet connection.
  • The Cookie Monster is "emailware" for Macs which clears the Netscape and Internet Explorer magic cookie file.
  • Cookie notes - how cookies work, what they can (and can't) do, and links to other sites.
  • DejaNews profiles page lets you look up your (or someone else's) Usenet posting history. Just type in a name and click submit.
  • HTTP Cookies - Netscape document describing the specifications of "cookie" files (technical reading).
  • MacWorld Online article about cookies.
  • NSClean information - Software for clearing the cookie and history files used by your browser. Demo available for download.
  • PCWeek Online talks about having your cookies and beating them too.

WWW security links

 
Background on this project.
 
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Personal Security on the Internet
© copyright 1996, Jan G. Hogle
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