Numerical identity, toward a responsible surfing

Never the question of private life was implicated in a maelström of stakes so many colossal. Between private societies which do not attach great importance of personal data sowed on the web but do not hesitate to serve to commercial purposes. More and more numerous Internet users who like sharing their every day life, without, in the majority of cases, measure all the consequences of their outpourings and politics which would love to control this vast freedom space that is Internet (without counting thefts and hacking acts), the problem of our transparency on network sometimes seems inextricable, even for trained eye. However, a responsible use of the web would be able to help us considerably as it comes counterbalancing certain drifts and other dark temptations.

First of all, it has to be well conscious that any action on the network let traces and transmit information which can be used to aims more or less laudable, even the more common. A simple email, for example, may contain your address IP, crucial element which permits to identify your computer and communicate with it, or the version of email software that you use, permitting to somebody who knows it well to exploit possible flaws. So devoting oneself to joys of social networks or blogging is not the unique dangers source for your private life. The ideal is to correspond only with people with whom we are sure about their identity.

Know that anybody, a piece of information published on the web is very difficultly controllable. Keep in mind that what you write will be able to be read everywhere in the world, even in ten years. Even caring your « personal branding » or your numerical reputation, think of everything which goes out from our computer or our mobile can be used or be intercepted. Of course, you can be tempted to trust to a website which has always given all guarantees on the use he does of your data, and letting, at choice, your address, your phone number or your bank card number in the whole tranquillity, but it is forgetting that data bases of that website can be hacking, in that case you cannot necessarily count on tools that you use currently to protect you.

Option « private surfing » available since a little time on the majority of Internet browsers can let thinking that it permits secured surfing, well it is not the case. Simply it avoids conserving traces of your consultations on your own post (and often does it badly). Apart from the recourse to networks entirely private and encoded (VPN), so it is impossible to protect fully his surfing on Internet from exterior looks. Nevertheless, here it is a few advice to protect you at the best.

It has to keep in mind it is impossible to control fully a piece of information once this is diffused on Internet. Whatever the chosen security measures, it is upstream that it has to manage what one publishes and divulgates or transmits. It is a base rule for a sure surfing. Even if one feels in security on one's own website or on one's blog, nothing stops anybody to duplicate or to recuperate different dispersed information.

In the steps of Facebook, social networks makes private life a secondary problem and do not hesitate to change confidentiality options by default of their portal. So one has to be very attentive to those last and juggles well with different parameters. As a user account is never sure at 100%, an efficient tip consists in creating various. One which will serve in the professional frame and other in a more private frame.

The majority of Internet browsers suggests now an option « private surfing ». if this one permits it, as indicates advertisement, to buy a present online to his better half in the whole discretion (soft euphemism to cover the fact that this functionality is above all used to hide frequentation of sexy websites), the process remains not very reliable. Moreover, it protects in nothing your data: only a secured connexion with normalized protocols such as SSL permits an Internet surfing really sure.

Recent mobile devices suggest geolocation services. Often very useful, nevertheless they are not without consequence on your private life, and, above all, on your security.


Certain people ill-intentioned can in fact know where you are and profit, for example, from your absence, to commit a housebreaking.

The best remains to deactivate this option in the frame of diffusion services (social network, video, e-mail…)

The VPN solution (for virtual private network) is the massive destruction weapon of transparency. Principle is simple: you connect you in a secured manner (encoded) to a private network, which is itself connected to Internet. The link (generally paying for sure services) between you and service is totally invisible, even for your access provider. Remains that you are always dependant on your private operator...