Google Causes Roadblock for Governments Seeking User Information

There have been numerous articles in the news lately about privacy issues, user information, and what rights government authorities are granted when searching for private user information.  One of the first blog articles I wrote discussed this very issue in regards to text messages, and it seems user privacy online has moved into the spotlight.

Now Google has released a statement saying they are going to make it more difficult for governments to access the data Google has collected, including emails, without a judge approved warrant. Currently, it is relatively easy for the government to take a look at your emails, as long as they are less than 180 days old. The law even states that police do not need a warrant for access to these emails, and unfortunately, email messages have less protection than printed paper messages. Hard copy printing has been around since the mid-1400s, so naturally laws have evolved and changed over the centuries to accommodate this. Emails on the other hand, were not developed until the 1970s, and were only adopted into modern culture in the late 1980s to early 1990s. This could explain why email privacy has taken so long to come to the forefront when discussing user security.

 According to statistics, requests for information have more than doubled in the last 3 years, up 70%. The vast majority of these requests are subpoenas, and these do not need a judge’s approval. The problem with subpoenas is they have a very broad scope. The law thinks that a subpoena is enough to ask for “detailed personal data,” which Google argues is incorrect. Google is fighting this by asking for search warrants if the government wants this personal user data, which does not include name, location, phone number and time an email was sent.  Google has been more transparent in the last few years about what information the government has been requesting, and has only handed over two-thirds of the information authorities have asked for.

Now that Google has made the process more difficult for law enforcement, other online companies are following suit, such as Twitter. This is a relief to users who want to ensure their data is protected and only obtained lawfully. Congress is said to be reviewing proposed amendments to the 1986 law sometime this year.

What do you guys think? Is Google right to challenge the government’s right to user data, or should there be an exception made for those in law enforcement? Let me know in the comments below! Thanks for listening!

Until next time,

Julie Heinrich

 

Sources: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/28/google-says-electronic-snooping-by-governments-should-be-more-difficult/

http://allthingsd.com/20130128/twitter-google-get-more-transparent-with-information-requests/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Email

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printing_press

BYOD: What You Need To Know About This Ongoing Trend

I have been sifting through various media outlets, and there has been a lot of focus on BYOD; how we need to incorporate this, understand it, adopt it, etc. Well, what exactly is BYOD, and more importantly, why should you care?

For the last few years I have been trying to understand what BYOD is, and how it will affect me. Often times, I considered it a trend that would soon pass. Well, it’s beginning to look like this movement is here to stay, so here is what you need to know:

What Is It?

First of all, BYOD stands for Bring Your Own Device. Sounds simple enough, but what precisely does that mean? Think about your mobile device. How often do you use it, and what for? Work? Games? Social Media? All of the above? Even at a full-time job, where the company grants you a company phone, how much do you use that phone except to check work-related emails? With BYOD, the idea is for you to bring your own device to the work place and use it for both corporate and personal needs. But this doesn’t just have to happen in the work place. This movement has been occurring on college campuses for years. Now more than ever, students are bringing laptops to class to take notes instead of the traditional pen and paper. And most likely, while these students are on their laptops, they are also checking school email, their personal Facebook, and playing games, all while connected to the university network. So, if students and employees are already using their devices to access company/school information, why try and stop the trend?

The Good News and The Bad News

There are a few concerns from business owners about what BYOD can do to their business. There’s the threat of a data breach on said device and also liability issues. For example, say you’re a business owner, and you allow your employees to use their cell phones to check work email and access any work-related data. While most employees will have locks on their phones, there could be that one that doesn’t. If that one employee loses their phone, any company data stored could be at risk for a breach. And then there’s the issue of liability. If the phone gets damaged, and the employee is not at fault, who is responsible for the repair?

That being said, there are some advantages to allowing employees to bring their own device. First of all, businesses that allow their employees this privilege will save money on mobile devices. Instead of buying each individual a company work phone, the individual can just use their own. Most people will spend the money to buy a high quality mobile device for themselves, so why not incorporate it into their profession as well? And, if you have ever had to have a company-issued work phone, that can be quite a challenge to keep up with. I personally have never had to keep up with 2 phones, but I have watched countless colleagues and friends try to keep their work phones and personal phones separate, and it just looks complicated. Also, since employees get to choose the device themselves, this could improve morale and productivity, since the employee has control over the device.

How Does This Affect You?

Starting in 2011, this trend really started to take effect, and almost 90% of employees are using their own devices in the work place. You may already be a part of this and not even realize it. As I started learning more about this trend, I realized I am as deeply involved in this movement as the rest of the 90% in the business world. During a typical workday, I am working away on my company PC, sending emails, doing research, and communicating with partners. As soon as I leave my desk, my phone goes with me. Every day at lunch and every night after work I catch myself checking my work emails on my iPhone, making sure there is nothing that needs to be handled right away. Whether you agree with this notion or not, there is no doubt that this is the prevalent means of communication, and research indicates it will only increase.

So what do you guys think? Are you satisfied with using your own device for professional and personal use, or would you rather have 2 separate devices? Let me know in the comments, and please feel free to ask any questions!

Until next time,

Julie Heinrich

 

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bring_your_own_device

 

Graph Search: Facebook's New Search Tool

Tuesday, January 15^th, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled a new search tool that will ultimately change the way users search for information. For the past eight years, Facebook has been gathering a large amount of information from its users, and with the new Graph Search tool, Facebook has found a way to filter all this information and give it right back to the user.

In a nutshell, Graph Search will allow you to look up content based on who you're friends with. For example, if you are wanting to look for friends who love to ski, instead of having to go to each individual page and look through their interests, you instead type it into the Graph Search bar at the top of the page, and Facebook will show you which of your friends like to ski. I have attached a link to a video on Facebook’s site to this blog post so you can see how it works. If you noticed today when you signed onto your Facebook account, on the left hand side you should see a video introducing Graph Search and an option to learn more.

Although this feature is not readily available to the public yet, there is a waiting list that you can be put on if you are anxious to test it out and give feedback, and according to the Facebook team, it’s a work in progress. Now, some of you may be wondering how this will affect Google. According to the stock market, the impact won’t be that large. However, it is still very early, seeming as the new Graph Search tool was just announced yesterday morning. Google will most likely still be the primary search engine for finding information, but what Facebook offers that other companies don’t is personalized user information, including status updates, photos, and user memories that were voluntarily given. That’s not to say that Google hasn’t received their user information voluntarily, but what Google lacks is the personalized memories, stories, and posts built up over eight years that Facebook has.  While Google has attempted to rival Facebook with its Google+ social platform, it has inadvertently come up short in gathering user information the way Facebook has. Ultimately, this array of information is what will either make or break the Graph Search Tool in Facebook. If any Facebook updates from the past are any indicator, eventually everyone will see this new tool and will be forced to use it in some way, even if you are just looking up your sister’s Facebook page. However, there have been many concerns raised about privacy issues.

Zuckerberg assures everyone that your information will only be made public if you specifically say so, meaning your posts will only be found if you want them to. Some best practices are to read every privacy statement and ensure you understand the change before you begin using it. Zuckerberg states that before users can use Graph Search, this message will pop up, “Please take some time to review who can see your stuff.” I encourage everyone to read this carefully so you can be sure you know what information people will find about you when using this tool.

It’s unclear whether this will be a success or a failure, but one thing is clear: this has ultimately upped the ante on user information. With this much personalized and targeted information in one place, advertisers can’t help but salivate a little. We will be sure to keep you updated as this new tool progresses past the early stages, and I myself have signed up for the waiting list to try it out. Please feel free to comment below with any questions, concerns, or specific subject matters you would like me to address. Thanks!

Julie Heinrich

 

Sources: https://www.facebook.com/#!/about/graphsearch

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/15/facebook-unveils-a-new-search-tool/?ref=technology

 

Be Careful Before You Send That Text: Uncle Sam May Be Reading It Too

Hello again everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend and a great week so far. Today I want to discuss a subject that is of particular importance to me, and I’m sure it will be to many of you as well.

Part of my job is to keep you all informed of what is happening in the IT industry, and to give you fair warning of changes that could affect you. I recently caught wind of a proposed update to the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) from the Senate. There have been many proposals circulating lately, but this one in particular touches on a subject many people will be affected by. If this is approved, every SMS (text) message you send will be stored in a digital archive by your phone provider (Sprint, ATT, Verizon, T-Mobile).This means that the text message you sent to your mom saying where you are going to dinner is now property of the Federal government.  Until recently, text messages were covered under the Fourth Amendment which protects citizen’s rights and information. Unreasonable search and seizure of any user information, including SMS messages, are currently protected unless law enforcement issues a court-approved warrant.

If this proposal passes the Senate and then the President signs it into law, however, your private messages could not be so private anymore. Your texts will become property of the Federal government and will be archived for 2 years. While CTSI can’t give an opinion about this legislature, or necessarily an idea if this will pass, what we can tell you is what you can expect and how to prepare. Now, while for some texting is just something you only do every now and then to send a quick message, for others it’s as much a part of you as breathing. Since texting has evolved it has become more popular, and over 2.3 trillion text messages are sent in America each year. That means that the over 321.7 million wireless subscribers in America are subject to having their SMS messages read by government officials.

Law enforcement officials cite this proposal as necessary to help them solve criminal cases more efficiently, stating that without the use of a warrant they will be able to look through suspect’s text messages to find information faster. Time is especially critical in cases of homicide, kidnapping, or a missing person, but at what cost do we give up privacy for security? There are counter arguments stating that this infringes on individual users rights and even the Office of the Inspector General has raised concerns of keeping user SMS messages on file without judiciary approval.

There are many arguments that can be made, but the one that is irrefutable is that should this proposal be approved, text messaging will have to change. Privacy will feel less secure, and many users will most likely restrict the amount of messages they send and their content. While this may not be all negative, users may resent the fact that their main mode of communication has to be censored.

We will keep you updated as this proposal moves closer to a decision in the Senate. What do you all think? Is this an invasion of privacy, or is this a necessary motion needed to help catch criminals? Let us know in the comments below!

Until next time,

Julie Heinrich

 

Sources:

 http://readwrite.com/2013/01/03/why-congresss-digital-archive-for-text-messages-is-such-a-bad-idea

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/D?d112:1:./temp/~bdWN2r:@@@D&summ2=m&|/home/LegislativeData.php?n=BSS;c=112|

 

Image: http://www.beantownbloggery.com/2010/09/no-more-texting-while-driving-starts.html]

 

 

Who We Are

Happy New Year everyone!

With a new year comes new beginnings, and at CTSI we are excited to be joining the blogging community and sharing some of our industry knowledge and expertise. To begin, this is an introductory blog post so you can get to know us a little better.

The primary contact and author will be me, Julie Heinrich, the Marketing and Reporting Specialist for CTSI. I will be writing once a week (every Wednesday, today is an exception) discussing the IT industry and how CTSI is adapting to this ever-changing field. I would love to hear any feedback as well as to what you guys want to know, learn, or discuss. This blog is meant to be informative, and hopefully at times entertaining.

Now I'm sure a lot of you are wondering what in the world is CTSI, and how does it affect me? CTSI stands for Computer Transition Services, Inc., and we have been in business for over 27 years. We handle business computing solutions in the Lubbock, TX area such as network monitoring, data backup and disaster recovery, and server repair, just to name a few. Our core focus is Managed Services, which in a nutshell means we monitor your networks, computers, and servers to ensure they are running efficiently and effectively. For example, if you are a business owner, you need your computers to run well, and preferably have no issues. While we don't live in a perfect world and issues will arise, CTSI is constantly monitoring your network to ensure we prevent such issues from happening, or at least catch a problem before it gets out of control.

That is just a little background about us, and I know that sounded very technical. I promise as time goes on I will explain more, and I will try to stay away from sounding too technical. I have a Marketing background so I understand that some of these terms seem like a foreign language. I am even still learning about all of them! But I am always here to answer any questions you guys have. Mostly I want to discuss things happening in the IT industry so you are aware of how it will affect you. Like I said however, I am open to answering questions or discussing a particular subject if you would like.

To wrap up, I will give you all a little background on me so you can know your author better. I was born and raised in Lubbock, TX and graduated from Coronado High School in 2008. I then attended Texas Tech University and received my degree in Marketing and Management in the spring of 2012. While in college I worked as a recruitment specialist for AFLAC, and the fall semester of my senior year I interned in Washington, D.C. for Congressman Randy Neugebauer, finishing up my final semester working for Mr. Neugebauer on his campaign. I have been working for CTSI since August, and I have loved every minute of it. This career has allowed me to use my talents and experiences and has helped me grow as a professional. I love the people I work with, and rarely do you find such a supportive and wonderful staff.

Well that about wraps up this first blog post. Please feel free to comment if you have something you would like me to discuss next week, or have any questions. Until next time!

Julie Heinrich