Why You Aren't As Anonymous As You Think You Are.

[oldschool]

Content source

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/13/anonymous-browsing-data-medical-records-identity-privacy

In August 2016, the Australian government released an “anonymised” data set comprising the medical billing records, including every prescription and surgery, of 2.9 million people.
Names and other identifying features were removed from the records in an effort to protect individuals’ privacy, but a research team from the University of Melbourne soon discovered that it was simple to re-identify people, and learn about their entire medical history without their consent, by comparing the dataset to other publicly available information, such as reports of celebrities having babies or athletes having surgeries. The government pulled the data from its website, but not before it had been downloaded 1,500 times....

 

[Ink]

Private data stored "securely" or Anonymous data to be sold.

 

[SumTingWong]

There's no privacy on the internet. You use their services, you accept the term of services or the agreements, therefore you allow the provider to collect information about you.

 

[oldschool]

I try to protect privacy to the extent that enhances security but there is no true privacy on the web since much of our data is already out there through the interactions we have with others when not on the web, e.g. in medicine, government statistics, etc.. Very simply, living in the modern world our data is out there even if we avoid the internet completely in our personal life.

 

[frogboy]

Being an Aussie I think that this was just wrong on all levels.n It should not have happened.

 

[Klettern]

Thanks, that's concerning.

 

[ForgottenSeer 58943]

I've largely given up on the 'battle'.

Everything is too compromised now. Too may second, third , fourth party people have your data and aren't keeping your data safe. There are technologies to bypass, hack and spy on you that have little to no defenses against them.

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with a very well known Cybersecurity expert, he advises firms dealing with EXTREMELY sensitive data. They've moved back to notepads and file cabinets. I snapped a photo of their rows and rows of file cabinets and desks piled with notepads. It's pretty hilarious but a sad testament to the reality we live in right now.

Virtually no security can be guaranteed once something hits the grid - that includes electrical. I don't care how much $$ you drop on a network, appliances, technologies, and IT Pro's - it'll be traversed. Period. End of story. If anyone claims to have a magical technology to prevent this, they're lying to you. The big players all know the situation.

I rarely sound defeatist.. This is an exception. I have no more magic bullets available..