We all know by now that whatever is sent through cyberspace, stays there. Our first instinct may be to look back on our past Facebook posts, tweets, Instagram pictures, and YouTube videos to reflect upon our mistakes, cherished memories, and our growth as human beings throughout time. But there are other ways in that we can permanently document ourselves online—banking and shopping online are only a few examples from a long list of servers that lure you into filling out personal information. Let’s face it—all of us have entered this kind of information about ourselves on the Internet in some way or another; and that’s totally fine. It’s not a crime. What is a crime, however, is that there are some people online who know that the Internet is full of secrets and confidential information; and they will do everything in their power to hack into online users’ private files. With our names, addresses, and social security numbers submitted into the Web, we become vulnerable. Although, we may have gained a sexy pair of heels (or a new release of a videogame) out of these situations, we don’t know what could be done with our identities in the process. (Another blog, “Who Knows?” goes further into the subject of privacy). Any one of us can be a victim of hacked information, celebrities included
On March 12, 2013, a website posted sensitive information of stars such as Jay-Z, Paris Hilton, and Kim Kardashian, as well as government officials including Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden. According to the article, “Stars hacked! ‘Secret files’ on celebs leaked online,” “The site did not state how the information was obtained or why the people targeted on the site were selected, describing the records only as ‘secret files’.” Social security numbers, addresses, and credit reports were all recorded on the site. Posted along with their information were “unflattering” photos of the selected celebrities. Andrew Smith, Los Angeles Police Commander, mentions that other “top police officials” have also had their confidential information stolen and posted online before. Smith thinks this that, “People get mad at us, go on the Internet and try to find information about us, and post it all on one site.
There was no evidence found on who had accessed such private information…but even if there was, would it be that important? The main idea behind this major hacking report is that personal information is confidential for a reason. We need to keep track of where we share our identities online and for what reasons. All too easily, such precious data can be found and taken into the wrong hands. Smith says, “The best word I can use to describe it is creepy.” As much as we think the Internet can protect own data, we need to use caution, because once it’s in there, it ain’t coming out!
Always There, Never Gone 