How vulnerable are people online?
More vulnerable than most realize. Some people are too trusting and naive when it comes to personal information. Most share information that they would never give someone they met casually offline. Would you tell the person standing next to you in the grocery store check-out line your address and phone number? Of course not, but it’s no different than doing so in a chat room, often unknowingly. How would you do so unknowingly? Many chat programs and Internet service providers ask you to fill out a profile about yourself. What most people don’t know is that this information is frequently available to anyone who wants to see it online. So if you fill out your profile with detailed information about your life, you’re vulnerable. Also, say you’re chatting with someone and tell them your last name and what city you live in. All they have to do is search one of many databases available on the Net to locate more information about you. How else can you protect your personal information? Whenev