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Private Parts

• May 25: High-profile Internet software companies say they'll give us a way to control the use of our personal information on the Internet. It's not a wholly altruistic move; privacy controls could allow electronic commerce to rake in $6 billion by 2000.
• June 12: The New York Times reports on how an imprisoned rapist and burglar in Texas used personal information he gleaned from sorting direct-mail data to send one woman a detailed threatening letter. She's suing the direct-marketing company that gave its work under contract to the prison.
• June 23: After the Federal Trade Commission looks into online privacy, the nation's largest seller of personal data, Lexis-Nexis, announces plans for new controls. Similar companies seem to be following suit - but no one talks about enforcement.

Not since the British tabloids intercepted royals' racy calls have technological invasions of privacy been of such widespread interest. To marketers, detectives, information thieves and computer Peeping Toms, that is. The rest of us have reason to worry. The more personal and professional information we consign to our computers - for the sake of convenience, efficiency or access - the more vulnerable are we to loss of privacy and outright intrusion.

Said the New York Times, "As the free-flowing exchange and exploitation of information is being celebrated as the main engine of economic prosperity into the next century, individual privacy is looking more and more like an endangered natural resource." Privacy laws can't keep up with technology; what's more, most legislation is meant to protect us from the government, not from private industry. Yet thanks to powerful databases that are linked in ever-more-clever ways, information collected for one reason can be used for quite another - without your consent or awareness.

Few of us would or could trade in our computers or our networks for fear of digital invasion. So how do we shield ourselves from the prying eyes of strangers- How do we safeguard vital information- Live Wire opens a two-part series on computer privacy and security, with help from Lance Hoffman, a professor of computer science at George Washington University and Director of the Cyberspace Policy Institute in the School of Engineering.

First, privacy. What do you do when, like Greta Garbo, you want to be alone- Just as Garbo took it on herself to cloak her famous features in fabulous fabrics, you have to be responsible. It's relatively easy on a stand-alone PC. If you store personal information on your computer, keep it locked up or use a password to shield your stuff from prying eyes. If you share or trade software or games with others, make sure you don't also have personal files on the disks that you swap. That means everything from medical records to love letters. "If you're not happy with it being on the front page of the Washington Post," Hoffman says, "be careful about what you do."

His rule of thumb applies equally well to your romps on the network. Be careful what you post to news groups or send by E-mail. "On the Internet," Hoffman explains, "you have no right to un-utter something." Everything's saved and search tools can find everything.

Women should be extra careful. Feminine user IDs or screen names are more likely to attract unwanted sexual advances, so use your last name or something androgynous. Remember, an Internet user can masquerade as someone of the opposite sex. "Take the same precautions that you would on a blind date," Hoffman urges women. "Don't reveal more information than you're comfortable with; if it's juicy, especially, it can be broadcast worldwide."

Americans tend to share private information with strangers in public settings, from bars to airplanes. The Internet is a tempting place to unload -- but its speed, reach and anonymity make the long-term risks outweigh the short-term satisfaction.

Be selective about using sites that make you fill out forms before you can proceed. Why do you think they want the information- Also, Web sites can collect data about you as soon as you access them. Try this simple counter-strike: If you use Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer Web browsers, toss your "cookies" file; it lets Web site owners dip into your jar of information. Search the hard drive for a file name with the word "cookie" and check that it contains the word "doubleclick" before deleting it. You can then fix any lost or changed settings.

Increasingly, Web sites are posting privacy policies, stating how and with whom they'll share your personal information. If they don't post a policy, decide whether you want to do business with them - and let them know why via E-mail.

And then there's spam. If you've ever checked your electronic in-box to find junk mail- well, you've been spammed. Marketers love it; Internet users hate it -- it's a nuisance and it clogs the pipelines. The Federal Trade Commission is looking at ways to control spam; in the meantime, complain to your Internet service provider - loudly and persistently.

As you can see, privacy measures in these pioneer days are largely up to us. Humankind has a history of trading away its privacy rights for convenience, but common sense and vigilance can give you a comfortable level of alone-ness. Now, if you'd only turn off that beeper...

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