Federal Judge Says You Have No Expectation of Privacy When Using Your Personal Computer
What a couple of weeks it has been for Joe Average ��� the typical, law-abiding citizen.
Most notably there is Hillary being let off the hook for the mishandling of sensitive documents, something that would have surely seen the rest of us fined enormous sums and likely sent to prison for doing the same thing.
Not as well known, but perhaps even more ominous for all of us regular folks, is a decision that was handed down June 23 by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, decreeing that no one should have an expectation of privacy at his or her home personal computer���because no computer that is actually hooked up and functioning ���is immune from invasion.���
What the federal jurist, Senior U.S. Judge Harry Coke Morgan, Jr., basically said in his ruling is that a computer that is connected to the Internet is, by definition, unsecure, because there are no security measures that can absolutely stop a hacker; and because we all know, or should know, that such is the case, the user of that computer therefore has no legitimate privacy expectation.
What started all of this was an FBI investigation of child porn activity on the ���dark web,��� an encrypted network. The bottom line is that the FBI used a technique to engage in a mass hacking of the computers visiting the child porn site under scrutiny, and that���s what had so many privacy experts up in arms - that such a hacking could legitimately be done on the basis of a single warrant.
However, not only did Senior U.S. Judge Harry Coke Morgan, Jr. uphold the warrant, he said that the warrant was actually unnecessary because Internet users should not have any ���objectively reasonable expectation of privacy.���
Other courts have held differently, saying that being connected to the Internet does not deprive a PC user of a reasonable expectation of privacy, but Morgan���s decision may well be the standard for the time being.
It���s tempting to be dismissive of this on the basis that what the feds were going after here are people interested in accessing the worst kind of stuff imaginable. Still, the idea that there is now a legal precedent that declares if you use the Internet, that you automatically forsake any right to privacy, is about as scary as it gets.
It is, however, precisely because of this ruling, precisely because it is clear that there are different sets of rules for those in power than exist for the rest of us���that we all do whatever we can to make it more difficult for others to monitor our every step, particularly those steps we take on the Internet.
To that end, a resource you should certainly find helpful is an ebook called The Patriot Privacy Kit. It provides a wealth of useful information on how to stay safe online, including how to secure your computer hardware and software platforms, how to be a good steward of your all-important passwords, and how to use email more securely. This ebook also looks at what you need to know to be safe as a regular user of social media, including the ubiquitous Facebook, and also includes great information on how to secure your sensitive information offline (even in this ���Internet age,��� most ID theft still takes place that way, from the compromise of documents in a physical form).
Here is a brief overview of what you���ll find in The Patriot Privacy Kit:
Step 1: Secure the Premises. You���ll learn how to get rid of spying software, keystroke recorders, and hidden viruses that allow others to steal your information. You���ll also learn two easy methods to completely secure your Wi-Fi network.
Step 2: Password Protection. Choosing the right password can protect you from identity theft easier than anything else, but 99% of Americans are choosing and storing passwords the wrong way. Here you will learn how to pick unbreakable passwords AND safely store your logins so that you don���t have to remember all your new passwords.
Step 3: Email Security. You will learn easy-to-implement procedures to secure your email, including how to prevent the NSA from spying on your email account.
Step 4: Using the Internet. Here you will learn 13 additional tips for browsing the internet safely and foiling hackers and trackers. If you shop or buy things on the web, THIS is a MUST-READ chapter for you. Additionally, you will learn how to erase your Google search history and never worry about who is seeing your Google searches ever again.
Step 5: Using Social Media the Right Way. Make sure you and your kids are protecting your private information on the world���s most popular websites. In this section, you will learn the latest strategies that will allow you to connect with friends without giving out your personal information to strangers.
Step 6: Protecting your Business and Website. In this section, you will learn how to protect yourself against attacks to any business or other websites you may have.
Step 7: Offline Privacy. Protect your personal and financial identity with these simple steps���and, yes, this is stuff you need to be doing even if you have LifeLock or a similar service. Find out if someone is using your social security number, monitor your credit for free, and protect your family history. You can even lock up your medical records, and use phones securely with these tips. You will even learn how to get your FBI and other government files.
Step 8: Going Invisible. Learn how to cover the tracks behind you, deleting what is already out there about you and can be linked to you.
Step 9: Going Invisible. Learn to cover your tracks going forward, maintaining an anonymous online presence. Wouldn���t you like to learn how to browse, shop, interact, and email online without being tracked or spied on?
Step 10: Gain Control of Your Personal Information. You will learn how to track down your personal information being held with online detectives and databases, as well as how to demand that they stop selling your information.
Something else - The Patriot Privacy Kit comes with a fantastic money-back guarantee, which means you can read and use the information through and through���and if you���re still not satisfied, you can get all of your money back, with no fuss. How great is that?
To learn more about the highly-informative, VERY timely Patriot Privacy Kit, Click Here.
By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large
