Contact us today!
866-348-2602

Total Tech Care Blog

Total Tech Care has been serving Florida since 2001, providing IT Support such as technical helpdesk support, computer support, and consulting to small and medium-sized businesses.

What Really Happens when Websites Collect Your Personal Data

b2ap3_thumbnail_entering_personal_data_online_400.jpgYou might be aware that some websites collect personal data from you depending on your mobile device’s location, your browsing history, and several other factors. This information is generally used for marketing, but it could have unforeseen effects on the way you browse the Internet. It can be fairly revealing about your personality, or possibly even incriminating. Therefore, you should be aware of how this personal information is gathered from you without you even knowing it.

Here are a few things Forbes magazine suggests you might not know about the gathering of your personal data:

wundermanMarketers Are the New Mom & Pop Store Owners
Remember that man who worked at the old general wares store down the road from you several years ago? He would remember everything about you; your name, your face, your interests, favorite beer, etc. The truth is that he knew most of what you preferred because you visited often and he picked up on patterns in your behavior.

In 1967, Lester Wunderman, the “father of direct marketing,” was able to predict that technology could accomplish this same feat with exponentially larger numbers: “A computer can know and remember as much marketing detail about 200,000,000 customers as did the owner of a crossroads general store about his handful of customers.”

As such, marketers are able to analyze data that computers gather about you and create marketing lists, which includes all types of personal information: religion, political view, marital status, sexual orientation, and more.

Your ZIP Code is Worth a Lot
To a marketer, your ZIP code is an absolute gold mine. You might think nothing of it when you enter your ZIP code at the local grocery store, but you’re giving marketing institutions all of the information they need to find you at a later location for future marketing campaigns. According to a Harvard professor Latanya Sweeney, a company can identify you an alarmingly high 87 percent of the time with only a few of your credentials:

  • ZIP code
  • Date of birth
  • Gender

Even the folks you trust the most with your ZIP code, your local post office, can take advantage of this and sell your information to marketers. The United States Postal Service is continuously validating old addresses and informing marketers when their targets have moved on to another location. According to Forbes, the USPS makes roughly $8 million a year by selling this data.

Facebook: A Goldmine of Information
Everyone’s favorite social media site houses an incredible amount of information about them, and is arguably one of the best marketing tools available on the Internet. Other users can see what pages you have “Liked,” and can even suggest pages or friends to you. Due to this open-minded approach to social media, marketers are generally able to collect this data and use it to formulate the aforementioned lists. Even if you only host the minimal amount of personal data on your Facebook, there’s still a good chance that marketers can put you into a list judging from your liked pages and friends.

Whether we like it or not, companies and merchants are gathering our information and storing it for later use. Your business likely does something similar; collecting information about your own clients and storing it for later consumption.

dilbert spam

By law, these institutions are allowed to collect this information, but there are others out there who seek out private information, like Social Security numbers, to commit identity fraud or steal your money. This begs the question of whether or not your business’s security solutions are up to snuff and able to protect your stored information from hackers.

When you deal with lots of personal information, like Social Security numbers or credit card numbers, you want to use the best security measures available. Total Tech Care can equip your business with a Unified Threat Management solution to keep your data safe from being compromised by hackers. This includes a firewall, spam blocking, and web filtering to keep the threats out, compounded by an antivirus to neutralize threats that get in. For more information about our UTM solution, give us a call at 866-348-2602.

 

Comments

No comments made yet. Be the first to submit a comment
Already Registered? Login Here
Guest
Wednesday, 02 April 2025
If you'd like to register, please fill in the username, password and name fields.

Blog Archive

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

  • First Name *
  • Last Name *

      Free Consultation

      Sign up today for a
      FREE Network Consultation

      How secure is your IT infrastructure?
      Let us evaluate it for free!

      Sign up Now!

      Free Consultation
       

      Tag Cloud

      Security Tip of the Week Technology Best Practices Business Computing Cloud Privacy Hackers Productivity Hosted Solutions Efficiency Software Network Security Google Business Microsoft Internet Email Malware Backup Workplace Tips Innovation Data User Tips Computer Mobile Devices IT Services Hardware Disaster Recovery Android VoIP communications IT Support Smartphones Communication Business Continuity Smartphone Miscellaneous Mobile Device Small Business Network Browser Productivity Collaboration Quick Tips Cybersecurity Users Business Management Managed IT Services Upgrade Windows Phishing Ransomware Data Backup Outsourced IT Windows 10 Office Data Recovery Server Save Money Cloud Computing Windows 10 Passwords Virtualization Saving Money Holiday Gadgets Social Media Chrome Tech Term Managed IT Services Automation Managed Service Microsoft Office Computers Facebook Artificial Intelligence Cybercrime Operating System BYOD Internet of Things Mobile Device Management Networking IT Support Wi-Fi Health Hacking Office 365 Remote Telephone Systems Information Technology Alert Covid-19 Information Managed Service Provider Spam Router BDR Bandwidth Employer-Employee Relationship Recovery Social Engineering Mobility Mobile Computing Data Breach Law Enforcement App History Application Human Resources Password Money Big Data Encryption Remote Monitoring Applications Government Office Tips Training Private Cloud Blockchain VPN Paperless Office Managed IT How To Apps Remote Computing Mobile Office Data Storage Patch Management Windows 7 Marketing Word WiFi Avoiding Downtime IT solutions Entertainment Website Servers Wireless Budget Gmail Data Security Settings Bring Your Own Device Data Management Work/Life Balance Two-factor Authentication Infrastructure Voice over Internet Protocol Mouse HaaS Google Drive Vulnerability Flexibility Scam Keyboard Data Protection Risk Management Hacker Vendor Management USB The Internet of Things Lithium-ion battery Vendor Managed Services Save Time Display Software as a Service Telephone System Staff Machine Learning Firewall Cleaning Connectivity Remote Work Employee/Employer Relationship RMM Virtual Reality Apple End of Support Social Physical Security Education User Error Safety Conferencing HIPAA Meetings Sports Redundancy Retail Hard Drives Cryptocurrency Audit Procurement Worker Proactive IT Instant Messaging Robot Excel Workplace Strategy IT Management Net Neutrality Best Practice Comparison Help Desk YouTube Biometrics Botnet Printer Virtual Desktop IT Plan Printing Black Market Bluetooth CES Unsupported Software DDoS Managed Services Provider Business Technology Content Management Document Management Access Control Charger Solid State Drive SharePoint Wireless Technology IT Consultant How to Database Downtime Compliance Virtual Assistant Authentication OneNote Remote Workers Computer Care Customer Service Humor Current Events Data storage Processor Environment Telephony Automobile Samsung Fax Server Hard Drive Update Computing Infrastructure Value Going Green SaaS Spam Blocking Google Docs Electronic Medical Records Computing Identity Theft Battery Hiring/Firing Network Congestion Shadow IT Legal eWaste Internet Exlporer Augmented Reality Virus Fraud Digital Signage Unified Threat Management PDF Remote Worker Computer Accessories Business Intelligence Wearable Technology Relocation AI Recycling IT Infrastructure FinTech Practices Bing Wiring Cameras Cache Social Network Amazon Web Services Public Computer Video Games Running Cable Investment Transportation Memory Safe Mode Regulations Criminal Worker Commute Employees Hosted Computing Computer Fan Experience Employee/Employer Relationships Rootkit GDPR Windows 365 Wireless Internet Online Shopping Scalability ISP ROI Benefits File Sharing Video Conferencing Workers Business Owner Sales Inventory FENG Bitcoin Specifications Shortcuts NarrowBand Camera Printer Server Science Point of Sale Wire Personal Evernote IBM Search Cryptomining Travel Smart Technology iPhone Flash Supply Chain Management Monitoring Batteries Millennials Printers Customer Relationship Management Windows 8.1 Smart Office Software Tips Digitize Wireless Charging Supercomputer Distributed Denial of Service Windows Server 2008 R2 Files Analyitcs Sync Emails Customer relationships Workforce Chromecast Programming Virtual Private Network Email Best Practices IT Assessment Cables Manufacturing Two Factor Authentication Colocation Uninterrupted Power Supply Netflix Computer Tips Nanotechnology Root Cause Analysis Managed IT Service Telecommuting Security Cameras Antivirus Project Management Windows 8 Virtual CIO HBO OneDrive Cortana Knowledge Biometric Security Music Monitor IT service Consultant Skype Peripheral Digital Signature Analytics Digital Security Cameras Data loss Using Data Warranty Troubleshooting Reputation Streaming Media Tablet HVAC Outlook Copiers Google Apps Leadership 5G Content Domains Tech Support Best Available Start Menu Quick Tip Analysis Administrator Ergonomics Devices Screen Mirroring Loyalty Techology Smartwatch Laptop WIndows 7 Books Customers Maintenance Enterprise Content Management Frequently Asked Questions Development OLED IaaS Accountants Windows 10s Audiobook Virtual Machine Bloatware MSP Mobile PCI DSS Microchip 2FA Thought Leadership Cast Fiber Optics Credit Cards Employee Touchpad Emergency Tablets Password Management Tip of the week Messaging Password Manager webinar Cabling Public Cloud Politics Hypervisor Multi-Factor Security Employer Employee Relationship Advertising Entrepreneur Professional Services Policy Search Engine PowerPoint Dark mode Twitter Windows Media Player Trend Micro Assessment User Shortcut Notifications NIST Windows Server 2008 SMS Business Mangement Default App Smart Tech Saving Time Trending Cost Management Tools Procedure dark theme Addiction Shopping Amazon Television Google Search Managing Stress Social Networking

      Top Blog

      The reasoning for this is simple: you want to make sure that operations are proceeding as intended, even if you’re not there. If you completely check out from the workplace every time you leave, you could return from your vacation to a complete and total disaster that may have been prevented with y...
      QR-Code