Online Security Services

360Civic today advocated for individuals to play a greater role in their own online privacy. Opting out of data collection as a critical first step in preventing unnecessary information gathering.

Having one’s home address, phone number and other personal data shared and sold can result in a multitude of problems, and is especially hazardous for such public servants as judges, social workers and police officers.

Over the last two years police officers have been retiring early or just flat quitting in droves. The numbers are staggering:

Ten years ago, Social Work Today published an article entitled “Violent Crime and Social Worker Safety.” The article illustrated in sometimes-frightening detail how social workers can experience dangerous situations in their profession.

Not long ago in Washington DC, two federal judges addressed the Judicial Conference Committee on the Budget to request additional funding for security. They petitioned for a 7.2% increase in the current Judiciary budget of $8.6 million for investment in IT modernization and cybersecurity.

California has been at the forefront of online privacy protection since the state passed a truncated version of the GDPR privacy regulations established by the European Union. These regulations give Californians the right to know what personal information is being collected about them, whether that content is sold or disclosed (and to whom), and the ability to refuse to have that information shared.

From the moment TikTok began its ascent into a social media craze, questions were raised about the security of the data it receives from users, and how that data is being used in TikTok’s country of origin, China. At one time that resulted in government threats to ban the app.

Back in May, I wrote about how Google added an option for users to opt-out of their private information being shown in search results. Recently, the company added a new feature to bolster this policy that allows users to request excluding search results featuring their phone numbers and other sensitive personal information, potentially adding an extra layer of protection.

A recent research survey by NordVPN found that more than half of Americans (55%) would delete themselves from the internet if they could.

This is understandable, considering all of the ransomware attacks and corporate hacks we’ve read about over the past decade. And for judges and police officers, having their personal information accessible online represents an additional danger to themselves and their families.

The ride-hailing service Uber suffered a major data breach not long ago. The company reported that the hacker did not gain access to sensitive user data.

What Qualifies as Sensitive Data?

Usually that refers to credit card information, bank account numbers or social security numbers, all of which can be used to profit by identity theft.

Attacks against journalists are thankfully rare in the US – but the recent murder of a Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter is a reminder of the dangers of that profession.

Like judges and police officers, journalists often stir up anger and resentment with what they do. That was the case in Las Vegas, where reporter Jeff German wrote a series of articles critical of a public administrator alleging corruption in his office. That administrator is now charged with stabbing German outside the reporter’s home.