Information is the internet’s currency, and someone is making a living
from yours.
“Farmers are fairly good consumers,” says Bruce Hill, an agricultural
computer consultant and educator from Imperial, Sask.
“They buy a lot of stuff. They do a lot research, so they can spend a
lot of time on-line. They can be very exposed.”
The problem comes from the practice of combing the internet for
personal computer user profiles that can be sold to companies for
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Farmers are not immune to these prying computer systems that are
programmed to gather information 24 hours a day, seven days a week from
other machines that are connected to the internet.
Terry Roebuck, a computer analyst and information security officer at
the University of Saskatchewan, said safe internet use is key to
keeping personal information private.
“(The internet) is like being in a big city,” he said. “There are
places you wouldn’t want to walk. You take a map and precautions.”
The precautions start with cookies.
Early in the history of the worldwide web, marketers found the need to
know their customers. Unable to meet them in person or over the phone,
statistical information became the backbone of customer relations and
targeted marketing.
Cookies are files placed on the user’s computer by a website to
recognize a returning customer. This is handy for users, because they
don’t need to retype information about themselves every time they visit
a website. But it also means that another computer has access to the
user’s machine over the network. Cookies can record a little or a lot.
They can record a simple name or tell if a user lingers over a single
item on the internet and for how long. That information is then added
to the user’s profile.
Over time, this can build a complete profile of the user.
Limiting the use of cookies through a cookie management program helps
users select which cookies they wish to accept. For example, one from a
regular parts supplier would be allowed, but one from a new search
engine or a game site might not be acceptable and manually refused.
Cookies can be controlled either with specialized software or by
turning them off under the internet browser’s preferences. While this
may keep user information safe, it also limits the sites that can be
visited because many require cookie access.
Some personal and small business sites don’t even know they are
collecting data for others. Tiny “bugs” are being placed in some free
internet website design software. When the infected software is used to
build a website, the bug is placed in the site without the site owner’s
knowledge. These bugs can, among other things, create cookies that
report on visitors’ activities.
Roebuck said new software is available that looks for these bugs,
similar to antivirus programs.
It is good to read privacy policies posted on websites. They tell users
whether a merchant or website manager shares information about
customers. These disclosures are usually found on the site’s home page.
They often provide options that allow the user the right to say yes or
no to having their information shared. Often, they are opt-out sites
that will share information about the user unless instructed not to.
When doing business on the internet, especially banking, users should
look for sites that are encrypted, which means communication between
the site and the user’s computer is scrambled and nearly impossible to
decode. Newer web browsers have built-in encryption.
Most banks, brokerages and some on-line stores use these systems. Users
can tell if the site is secure by looking for a padlock indicator on
the browser screen. Selecting the security control panel in the browser
will show if the site is traceable and if it is the site the user
believes it to be.
Like a signature on a cheque or identification such as a driver’s
licence, some sites allow or even require the use of digital
certificates to do business. These digital signatures provide security
for both the site operator and user. Registration through a third party
costs $25 a year.
Brian Ludwig, a computer consultant and trainer from Regina, said
conducting farm business on the internet is just like dealing over the
phone.
“If you don’t know the other guy, you take precautions. Certified
cheques on delivery, references from banks and other sellers.”
