Privacy in the Age of Big Data: Recognizing Threats, Defending Your Rights, and Protecting Your Family

by Theresa M. Payton, Ted Claypoole, Howard A. Schmidt (Foreword)

Digital devices have made our busy lives a little easier and they do great things for us, too – we get just-in-time coupons, directions, and connection with loved ones while stuck on an airplane runway. Yet, these devices, though we love them, can invade our privacy in ways we are not even aware of. The digital devices send and collect data about us whenever we use them, but that data is not always safeguarded the way we assume it should be to protect our privacy. Privacy is complex and personal. Many of us do not know the full extent to which data is collected, stored, aggregated, and used. As recent revelations indicate, we are subject to a level of data collection and surveillance never before imaginable. While some of these methods may, in fact, protect us and provide us with information and services we deem to be helpful and desired, others can turn out to be insidious and over-arching.Privacy in the Age of Big Data highlights the many positive outcomes of digital surveillance and data collection while also outlining those forms of data collection to which we do not always consent, and of which we are likely unaware, as well as the dangers inherent in such surveillance and tracking. Payton and Claypoole skillfully introduce readers to the many ways we are “watched” and how to change behaviors and activities to recapture and regain more of our privacy. The authors suggest remedies from tools, to behavior changes, to speaking out to politicians to request their privacy back. Anyone who uses digital devices for any reason will want to read this book for its clear and no-nonsense approach to the world of big data and what it means for all of us.

Genres: Nonfiction, Technology, Politics

380 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Theresa is the daughter of a U.S. Marine and considers the United States her hometown. She was born in Jacksonville, Florida. Theresa has lived on the East Coast, the West Coast, and Hawaii and has called Charlotte home since 1995.

A proud graduate of Immaculata University, Theresa had a double major in Economics and Business Administration with a certification in Computers. Theresa graduated from Immaculata with honors in 1989 and went on to the University of Virginia to earn her Master of Science in Management Information Systems and completed that in 1990. She was in the first graduating class for this masters degree. Theresa earned her certificate in Graduate Banking studies from The Graduate School of Banking at LSU in 1997. She is also a certified Black Belt in Six Sigma.

Theresa caught the technology bug while still in high school doing a stint in computer support during the holiday season at the Quantico Marine Corps Exchange. After graduate school, she worked at Barnett Banks, Inc which is now a part of Bank of America and realized quickly that customers needed convenience while keeping their confidential banking information safe. She also worked in technology roles supporting customers at First Union which is now a part of Wells Fargo and at Bank of America. Most recently she was the Chief Information Officer for President George W. Bush. Theresa was the first woman to hold the position of CIO at the White House. She has a cybersecurity consulting practice.

Theresa was recently honored with the 2009 Charlotte Women in Business award from the Charlotte Business Journal. She also found serving the country while working at the White House a true honor.

She is a former recipient of other regional awards including Charlotte's 40 Under 40, Five Outstanding North Carolinians, Ten Outstanding Young Charlotteans, and Charlotte's Woman of the Year.

Reviews

[Jon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm fairly well versed in security and I like security books. I don't know how to say something nice about this book. Maybe I can just say that the book has credentialed authors, and the random collection of sentences within are well footnoted. The structure, the editing, and the writing are all on equal footing, and it succeeds as a collection of unedited notes.

This is a complete waste of time.

Examples:
p. 64: Mentions a U of Maryland sorority sister who used a bunch of "F-bombs" in an email. It then says that she will have some work to do to reestablish her online reputation and polish her brand. It makes no mention that the email went viral and was even subject to a celebrity read by Michael Shannon. This was a sort of a key part of the example that would've made the paragraph make sense.

p. unknown: It goes on about how all information you put online is being put into databases and tracked, and then mentions, almost as a drunken afterthought, that it's essential to build and maintain an extensive online presence.

P. 91 (and others): This book is FULL of random, pointless interviews, such as page 91, which goes on for two pages about a mother tracking her daughter's phone and getting caught by the daughter. This is a two sentence point. Tell your kids you're tracking them. There is no need for an interview with a random person about nothing. You don't need to explain the cheese sandwich to me. Just put "CHEESE SANDWICH" on the menu.

p. 81 (Uh, what? quote of the day): "If you want a simple way to use email without worrying about snooping, just give up and assume that all of your emails will be snooped on." Is this a security book? Would the 15 year old who wrote this please come down to the office? We need to discuss pgp and email encryption before we deep dive into the basics of sentence structure.


p 224. "In February 2013, University of Pittsburgh researcher Andrew Schwartz's years of brain research paid off, as surgeons implanted four microchips in a paralyzed patient's brain that translate her brain's signals into movement in robotic equipment, so that she can feed herself ice cream through brain signals sent to a robotic arm."

Again, teen ghost writer, this sentence doesn't say what I think the author wants it to say.

If I didn't already immensely dislike this book, interspersed within the nonsense are more random, pointless quotes than an old school BBS.

While I do think that people should read more about potential security threats, I can't recommend that they read this version of them. Please read something else.

[Sue Scheff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sincerely loved this book. Most tech book can be a bit difficult to understand - however this book is very "user-friendly" and is a topic that we ALL need to know about! From ages 8-80 - everyone needs to be concerned about their privacy, and the fact that big businesses are using data mining to predict our shopping habits (online and off) can not only be intrusive, it is frightening.

Fact is -this is our evolving world. We can't change it, we need to embrace it and learn as much as we can to protect ourselves and our family.

I highly recommend this book.

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is privacy exactly? What does it mean in today's highly connected world? Does it need redefining? How do we balance security against privacy? Perhaps we are all concerned about this issue but are we sufficiently educated on it and taking any active steps to address our concerns? First step, read this book. Second, what specific areas in the book caught your attention? I bet there's at least 2-3 things to implement right away to better enhance your privacy. Lastly, get educated on your relevant state's privacy laws. US Federal law on privacy is slim: "...the United States is content to allow its regulation with regard to privacy drift with the winds of business, protecting the most obviously vulnerable data and leaving the rest uncovered." Hmm, ok, but that doesn't mean we can't all take a more active role in shaping public policy on privacy. Start with your local district official. And why does the EU have more stringent privacy laws than the US? Of course after reading it I felt that the authors' well-articulated explanation should have been obvious to me.

[Claire Binkley · Rating 3 out of 5]

While paging through, I thought this book was probably on a little on the "too old" side for being a technology book - I thought that you had to keep those fewer than five years old. This is six. It is Copyright 2014, and today is 2 August 2020.

HOWEVER, the first time through, I read 48% of the authors' ideas.
It's on the edge, so I think it's okay to remain in the stacks for a little while longer...

This basically tells you to "opt-out" of various adware through your antivirus program.
It has a few other interesting ideas, as well.

Then, I felt guilty and finished the rest of the book, which honestly does have some riveting brand-new stuff I never saw before.
(I mean, it mostly is the normal wise password advice laced with how criminals can get at you through email, but it never hurts to get told that again!)
Why don't you have a look, too?

[Shannan Debus]

Definitely an important book for anyone using technology. This book contains great information about who has access to your data, from governments to businesses to cyber criminals, how this data can be used to help you or hurt you, and what you can do to protect yourself. Written in consumer language, this book is simple enough for the average, non-techie to understand.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best books on this topic I've read - it explains, in simple language and without being unduly alarming, how the legal protections we have against invasion of our privacy have failed to keep up with technology, and that this leaves us increasingly powerless to protect ourselves from intrusion not only by government and law enforcement but also by corporations and even private citizens who have no moral right to know where we go, who we see and what goes on even in our own homes. Basic strategies are suggested to help us defend ourselves, but the authors clearly feel that the only *real* hope we have of limiting access to our deepest secrets and resources is in making our government establish legal restrictions on who can keep track of our views, habits, and relationships.

[OLA Intellectual Freedom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This practical book lays out clearly all the ways that we are being digitally tracked at the present, and all the ways we are likely to be tracked in the very near future at the Internet of Things develops more fully. The book provides practical ways that we can protect ourselves from this tracking, including behavioral changes, technology solutions, and advocated for legislative changes. Anyone who wants to reduce the size of his or her digital footprint would benefit from reading this book.

[River · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a decent introduction to the concept of privacy in the digital era. It explains various privacy issues and debates as they relate to phones, the internet, and biometrics. It's quite broad and tackles a lot of topics, but does so while maintaining a satisfying amount of detail. It's probably the best book I have read on the topic and largely ignores some more tedious historical and philosophical arguments that other books tend to make.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely worth a read if you embrace modern technology. Wearable technology, home networks, and mobile computing are moving society forward, but you should know the risks. I work in tech and I still got some good information out of this book.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

While it is an excellent survey of the topic, if you're interested in privacy and have been keeping up with the topic on the internet, there is little new to you in this book.

[Mills College Library]

323.448 P347 2014

[Anas]

it is a good book