With a large number of Americans concerned about privacy issues while online, Microsoft has taken steps to launch a new campaign to educate internet users about online privacy and security.
To Be Secure is to Be Educated
With more people spending time online with social media, online shopping and general browsing, users are leaving behind a more notable digital footprint.
Very few of us believe that sharing some personal data online is a bad thing. It’s part of our everyday routines to fill out profiles, login to sites, and oftentimes provide personal information like our credit card or phone numbers in order to take advantage of all the web has to offer,” said Ryan Gavin, general manager of Windows at Microsoft in a blog post.”… Yet, at some point, we all draw a line where we are uncomfortable sharing more.”
According Gavin, being digital vulnerable is a concern that most Americans have with 85 percent respondents in a recent customer survey saying they were worried about their online privacy, but didn't really do anything about this concern.
With this in mind, Microsoft has launched a new campaign and resources designed to educate and assist customers with their privacy concerns.
Resources and a Campaign
The resources are available at the Your Privacy webpage, a safety and security information page. Topics are divided into categories, such as security, privacy, family safety and resources, so that users are able to easily find the information they need.
For example, in the Security section, users have access to information about firewalls, safety products and scans, viruses and malware, online support, Microsoft's safety scanner and security updates. The Resources section is made up of three sub-sections: teach yourself, teach someone and features and is comprised of, among other things, how to defend your computer, how to socialize more safely, how to teach others through video presentations and security terms.
As was mentioned the resources were launched along with a series of television commercials. The videos show users information they often share online, but may not want to, promoting conversation and public interest in learning about online privacy and security.
A Privacy Quiz
Microsoft also recognizes that this lack of understanding stems from users not understanding their own online identity. With the “Your Privacy Type” quiz users can find out what type of privacy they need based on their online behavior. Questions include: where a user accesses the internet within the last month, which social networks a user has an account with and what kind of information a user posts to these sites, such as their daily plans, job information and birth date.
While Microsoft doesn’t have a full-proof solution for privacy issues they want to make sure that internet users know the risks at hand and as a result are more prepared to deal these issues with and protect their personal information.
It’s [privacy is] a priority across all our businesses, and an area where we continue to work closely with others throughout academia, government and industry,” said Gavin. “And while we don’t pretend to have all of the answers, we do want to help raise awareness for how you can have greater choice and control as you browse the web.”
Source : cmswire[dot]com
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