Internet Security Myths

Contrary to what you see in the movies, on TV and what you read on the Internet, not everyone is watching what you do online. Here are some myths about who's watching what you're doing on the web. 

1. The FBI Monitors Every Tweet - While it's true that the FBI has a Twitter account, the FBI doesn't watch what everyone is tweeting. They have more important things to do. That would require such and enormous amount of computing power that even the Federal Bureau of Investigation doesn't have. Spokeswoman Jenny Shearer said their usual practice is to look into something only if they see some sort of threat, so the FBI isn't going to come busting into the coffee shop after you check in using Foursquare. Unless you check in at a black site the CIA takes terror suspects, you're good.

2. Facebook Tracks Your Web Usage - Facebook spokesperson Jaime Schopflin says that the site does track what you 'like' on the website and translates that information into a better user experience for you, but they do not track what websites you visit after you log off of Facebook.

3. You're Being Spied On - When someone is taking pictures of you, it's fairly obvious most of the time, so it's also pretty obvious when your computer or laptop is recording video as the laptop cover has to be open and most webcams have a red light that shows when it's recording. Installing spying and recording software on your computer without your knowledge is illegal, so someone telling you the police, sheriff, FBI or CIA is watching your webcam is false. Unless you're recording and posting illegal things, no government agency is looking at what you're recording.

The only reason you should be freaked out about what you're looking at online is if you're looking at websites that are not allowed by your employer, in which case, they're usually blocked anyway, you're looking at things that are against the law or you're a terror suspect. No one who's looking at normal, reasonable every day things on the web should be afraid of the government watching what they're doing.