With the advent of computing there was a optimism and a promise of unlimited information potential and consequent improvement of society.  Many believed Privacy & Anonymity would be some of the Internet’s greatest assets, and many people believe their actions remain hidden from unwanted observation.

In many ways this optimism was warranted with the flowering of information.  Unfortunately, in many ways the reverse has also come to pass with tracking, search engine information manipulation, and a chilling effect on free speech.

Under the hood, the Internet & Web is a Wild West. Hacks and tricks are rampant by salesman and the dishonest.  The usual motivations of money and power are ubiquitous.  Collection of sellable information for marketing or more nefarious purposes is everywhere.  Information leaks of private information with the database owner have no incentive to be transparent.

The usual claim of markerters is our collection of habits and sites visited is solely to make a better product or improve your experience. It becomes available to those collect it and to those who aren’t supposed to have access to it.

Internet privacy and anonymity is tough for the initiated, and is practically non-existant for the common man in day-to-day reality.  Your address and activity is watched, logged, tracked, and sold by a variety of players including your provider, marketing companies and the government.

In many countries, the content you can and cannot access is controlled by your government.  And virtually everywhere, your private information gets sold to companies that use it for commercial purposes, poorly designed software leaks your data, and records get hacked.

There are a number of companies that have grown products which exert an outsized influence on today’s digital landscape.  Google (ABC) and their allies are widely known for their search engine, the Android Operating for Smart Phones, and have their hands in advertising and a number of other pies.  Microsoft and their allies build Windows, the most popular computer operating system in world and the productivity suite of Office.  Apple and their allies produce Mac computers, laptops, iPads, and iPhones and the Operating system that runs them. Others such as Facebook, Amazon and other are big players as well.

Some may say…  “It’s just modern business.”
Some may say…  “It’s hopeless.”
Some may say…  “Who cares?”
Some may say…  “Don’t worry, if you don’t have anything to hide.”

That’s Fine.  We’re not here to change your opinion, just to help those who think things have gotten a bit out of whack and wish to do something about it.

A little information to help you make informed decisions, figure out what you can and cannot do.

Generally speaking the technical world is made up of four components..
Hardware Devices.  Computers, Laptops, Tablets, Phones etc..
Operating Systems.  Software that runs the hardware devices. Windows, Apple, Google, Linux are the most common.
Applications (Apps).  Software performing a specific function written for a specific Operating System.  Chrome, Firefox, Word, Excel, Quickbooks, Photoshop etc..
Networks/The Internet. Many hardware devices talking with one another for a variety of functions including information, email etc..

Many or these companies live on the edge of convenience, morality, and profit.  Government is uninterested, outgunned, and sometimes complicit.

To allow you to live a connected life as possible with as little influence from these companies and to realize the impact they have on your cyber existence and choose wisely with that knowledge.

We can help you on a one-time or continuing basis.

Cookies
Trackers & Tracking
Advertising
Increased Anon
Pixel Tags
Embedded Scripts

Figuring out who you are and what you do.

Worth money to the vendors.

The web has a process where they can identify your physical location based on your Internet Service Provider (Comcast or Ziply for computers)  (T-Mible, Verizon, Sprint etc. for phones).

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a service to control where the world sees your location.  You may physically be in Seattle, WA, but with a VPN service you can choose from many locations depending your needs and your service.

The Internet is a magnificent tool for nearly all.  But the motivations vary all over the road.  The veneer of anonymity in this time is very thin. You may think in the privacy of your own house or office you are protected.  Many collect data about your habits and proclivities.  Others use it to track or target you.

We can give you practical tools and education that will allow you to be more knowledgeable about it and make more informed choice in your behavior.

While the functionality of the big Operating System vendors like Microsoft, Apple, and Google are beneficial and significant, it comes at a price.  Microsoft, Apple, and Google are extensive data collectors with their Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android Operating Systems.

It’s hard to be functional in the modern world without a smartphone.

There is great functionality in modern Android and Apple smartphones.  But the same pitfalls await here as well.  Tracking and informational databases abound.

We can help you choose phones and service plans as well.