You ARE Being Watched

I am not a conspiracy theorist. I don’t believe in cover ups that involve thousands of people because as we all know, a secret kept between 2 people is a challenge…kept by hundreds or more? Not a chance.

You are you know

So when I say you ARE being watched, I say it because it’s true on many different levels. Sure ‘Big Brother’ is always the fallback. Government is an easy target as big brother but let’s be honest about something here…big brother is tiny compared to big business and big data. Not to mention, ‘Big Brother’ is tiny compared to the real big brother…all of us.

Every click you make on a keyboard, every site you visit, every store you enter, every search you make are all being indexed, evaluated and sold.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t have a big problem with most of the data mining that goes on. I look at some of it as a cost of doing business. I also accept fully that to use some tools for free, I am a commodity to sell which helps pay for my free use.

What I do have a problem with is not being told about exactly what is being mined, how much is being mined and where that information is being kept. Most importantly, I want to know the level of security there is on the safe keeping of my information. I have rarely been given the opportunity to “OPT-OUT” of that information suck.

I have never asked by any Internet provider, “Is it OK with you to provide all your web visits to a 3rd party?”  No choice is where I have the biggest problem.

It is with the above knowledge that I jumped at the opportunity to attend the launch of a KickStarter Program and information session for a new privacy product. ICLOAK. Their website welcome page says it all…

Your privacy should be your choice!

What is ICLOAK?

ICLOAK is a tool that you plug into your computer’s USB port that provides you the ability to ride the net in an anonymous manner. It comes with several features that currently exist and can be easily sourced to provide the same level of anonymity while you are on the web.

The ICLOAK Device

Why ICLOAK

Since there are currently many ways to go invisible online, why would you need ICLOAK? Simple. ICLOAK isn’t designed for tech savvy people who know how to go invisible. It’s designed for the majority of the population that want privacy without needing to know the underweb or coding skills. It’s made for everyday people with everyday computer skills. All you have to know how to do is plug-in a USB drive and turn on your computer. THAT’S IT!!

Who needs it?

Anyone who wants to protect their own online existence and privacy.

Where would you use it?

ANYWHERE you connect to the Internet. Home is where most people connect and it will keep your ISP from being able to build their much-needed data file profile on you but let’s get realistic. You are pretty safe in your home. Unless you are already a really bad person, there isn’t much chance of someone wanting to really dive into your computer. But what about when you aren’t home.

Being watched from the dark

Ever surf on free Wifi at McDonald’s or Starbucks? Do you know who is sitting near you grabbing your information? What about travelling? Ever log into an airport’s free Wifi? How do you know you are really on a trusted Wifi site?

How about that real secure hotel WiFi? “They gave me a password to log into the site.” Yes, and the guy in the next room got the exact same password and is connected to the same network.

Did you know that anyone with a laptop can create a ‘HotSpot’ and name it for the location? Yes…anyone can do that.

As part of the launch party, being a blogger I was given the opportunity to join media and other writers in a private audience with the CEO of ICLOAK, Eric B Delisle who shared his vision for ICLOAK and why he and his team have developed this technology.

CEO Eric B Delisle

I immediately saw a passion in Mr Delisle about his desire to help protect people and to help give them a choice as he shared the creation process (the why). A couple of things really resonated with me coming from a policing background.

Eric talked about the people he thought about in the process of bringing this project forward. People like his mom and dad, family and friends. People who need a simple system to protect themselves.

My mind went to women and children who have been the victim’s of domestic violence. They have a real need to hide where they are when online.  Children who are being tracked at an unbelievable level…in schools as they do online assignments with timed algorithms and keystroke tracking while big pharma sits backs analyses and thinks, “This child has a learning disability. Let’s direct market drugs to the parents.”

I thought about some of research people do for others on the Internet and outernet sites. Without context some people might look like they need to be tracked.

What about the BAD people?

Natural question. If this technology affords good, honest hard-working people the ability to hide doesn’t it make sense the bad people can hide with it too?

Of course, but here is the reality. Bad people, child predators, pedophiles, malicious hackers already know how to hide and for the most part way better than most of us will ever be able to understand.

Simple Highlights

• anonymous browsing
• malware and virus protection
• location hiding
• changing IP and MAC address
• ease of use

I encourage you to go to the website and look for yourself.

Here is a great place to start your own education and you can help make a difference at the same time. ICLOAK Kickstarter site.

Update July 1, 2014 – Tech Crunch article about ICLOAK