Technology Threatens Personal Privacy

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How Technology Threatens Personal Privacy
The growth of the Internet has provided numerous benefits. In fact, without personal computers and the Internet, modern society could not function as it does. Conversely, the widespread use of computer systems and networks pose numerous new threats to personal privacy. Protecting information is extremely important to commerce, government, and private individuals. The Internet has opened up new ways to communicate and conduct business, but it has also increased the need for a high level of protection to keep sensitive information secure and private. Some examples of technologies that threatens personal privacy are outlined below.
Unencrypted Email and Personal Data in the Cloud
One of the largest dangers for personal privacy is the practice of sending unencrypted email or storing private …show more content…

Depending on your point of view, cryptography can both help and hinder protection of privacy and public safety. Protecting personal information is important for individual privacy, as well as for the success of commerce. The need for data encryption is real. Since private information is stored on computers and shared over public networks, without strong encryption this data is vulnerable to interference by criminals, businesses, and others who should not have access. This could be healthcare data, financial information, or other extremely private information.
If encryption were not available, electronic commerce as we know it today would not be safe or possible. Identity theft and credit card fraud would be ubiquitous and would make online business transactions impossible. Encryption protects personal privacy and allows us to continue to take advantage of the many benefits that computers and networking technologies offer. However, encryption can also present a threat to public safety when used by criminal elements to plan crimes or, worse, terrorist

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