Law #9: Absolute Anonymity Isn’t practical, In Real Life Or ON The Web

Virus scanner work by comparing the data on your computer against a collection of virus “signatures”. Each signature is characteristic of a particular virus, and when the scanner finds, data in a file. Email, or elsewhere that matches the signature, it concludes that it’s found a virus. However, a virus scanner can only scan for the viruses it knows about. It’s vital that you keep your virus scanner’s signature file up to date, as new viruses are created every day.

The problem actually goes a bit deeper than this, though. Typically, a new virus will do the greatest amount of damage during the early stages of its life, precisely because few people will be able to detect it. Once word gets around that a new virus is on the loose and people update their virus signatures, the spread of the virus falls off drastically. The key is to get ahead of the curve, and have updated signature files on your computer before the virus hits.

Virtually every maker of anti-virus software provides a way to get free updated signature files from their website. In fact, many have “push” services, in which they’ll send notification every time a new signature file is released. Use these services. Also, keep the itself that is, the scanning software update as well. Virus writers periodically develop new techniques that require that scanners change how they do their work.

Law #9: Absolute Anonymity Isn’t practical, In Real Life Or ON The Web

            All human interaction involves exchanging data of some kind. If someone enough of that data together, they can identify you. Think about all the information that a person can glean in just a short conversation with you. In one glance, they can gauge your height, weight and approximate age. Your accent will probably tell them what country you’re from, and may ever tell them what region of the country. If you talk about anything other than the weather, you’ll probably tell them something about your family, your interests, where you live, and what you do for a living. It doesn’t take long for best bet is to live in a cave and shun all human contact.

            The same thing is true of the internet. If you visit a website, the owner can, if he’s sufficiently motivated, find out who you are. After all, the ones and zeroes that make up the web session have to be able to find their way to the right place, and that place is your computer. There are a lot of measures you can take to disguise the bits, and the more of them you use, the more thoroughly the bits will be disguised. For instance, you could use network address translation to mask tour actual Ip address, subscribe to an anonym zing service that launders the bits by relaying them from one end of the ether to the other, use a different ISP account for different purposes, surf certain sites only from public kiosks, and so on. All of these make it more difficult to determine who you are, but none of them make it impossible. Do you know for certain who operates the anonym zing service? Maybe it’s the same person who owns the website you just visited! Or what about that innocuous website you visited yesterday, that offered to mail you a free $10 off coupon? Maybe the owner is willing to share information with other website owner. If so, the second website owner may be able to correlate information from the two sites and determine who you are.

            Does this mean that privacy on the web is a lost cause? Not at all. What it means is that the best way to protect your privacy on the internet is the same as the way you protect your privacy in normal life through your behavior. Read the privacy statement on the website you visit and only do business with ones whose practices you agree with. If you’re worried about cookies, disable them. Most importantly, avoid indiscriminate web surfing recognize that just as most cities have a bad side of town that’s best avoided, the internet does too. But if it’s complete and total anonymity you want, better start looking for that cave.