How can we secure ourselves?
When you’re put in a situation where your wallet or mobile phone is missing, it’s a scary thing in the digital age. As I wrote in my previous column, digital privacy is an illusion. As Rainey Reitman of the Electronic Frontier Foundation said: “In the post-Snowden era, there should be no illusions of privacy of the Internet.” Those who have your digital information could use that information against your interest.
Imagine if a digital thief has all your personal information. That includes your birthdate, address and mother’s maiden name – information a call center agent needs to amend your bank or utility service account. You still can protect yourself.
Last New Year’s Eve, I lost my wallet and almost lost my mobile phone at the same time because of forgetfulness. Both wallet and mobile phone were on top of the car roof when I drove off (how it got there I’m ashamed to tell you). The wallet fell off the car roof but fortunately the magnetic-cased mobile phone held on.
In that wallet were two ATM cards, some cash, and a credit card. Within minutes of discovering the loss, I phoned all three banks and had the cards blocked from all transactions. If suppose a dishonest person got my credit card and immediately used it online, I don’t have to fear because my bank provided an additional security layer.
Each time I make an online purchase, the bank sends me a One-Time-Password (OTP) through SMS to my mobile phone for that particular transaction. But suppose I lost both my mobile phone and my credit card to a thief who also incredibly happens to have all my personal information. By the time the thief figures out my phone’s access code, I had the card blocked already.
So the key is familiarizing yourself with the simple steps to protect your digital-based assets. There is no excuse not to be prepared with security measures in this digital age. One cannot have his cake and eat it too, so to speak. I mean, we cannot enjoy the unprecedented conveniences of the digital and online age, yet maintain ignorance about digital and online security.
Something about the risks of digital technologies reminds me of an esteemed veteran journalist in the 1990s who refused to give up his newsroom typewriter for a computer keyboard. He never lost his write-up to a computer bug or crash but I’m sure the person assigned to retype his article on the computer had other better things to do.
Regarding my lost wallet, fortunately an honest and considerate person found it. He turned my wallet in to Brigada News FM who promptly informed me through my Facebook Messenger account that my wallet has been found intact. I don’t have permission to print his full name here but I immensely thank Eric who found my wallet and to the Brigada News FM crew for their public service. I hope to meet Eric someday to personally thank him.
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Another high-profile killing hit Cebu’s streets, this time, late Thursday evening along Escario Street near a major shopping mall. Bullets from an unknown assailant felled assistant prosecutor Mary Ann Castro. One would think the killers in our midst would take a break out of respect for the prevailing solemn atmosphere of the Fiesta Señor. But no they did not.
The good fiscal was already assigned in Masbate and was here in Cebu probably for the Fiesta Señor. Her assailants perhaps took advantage of that. Police should establish the motive behind her killing and promptly bring to justice those directly and indirectly behind this murder.
Fiscal Castro led a colorful and controversial public life. For whatever reason, she made many enemies as well as friends in places mighty and humble. Yet her violent death still shocked the sensibilities of Cebuanos. We feel out of control because our own police force has not yet even begun to solve past high-profile murders and attempted killings in the city and province.
As a quick fix to common crimes, some people may tolerate and even justify the murder of others. But this impunity for violence serves only to erode our community spirit and our confidence in the government. A preacher once said: “The Kings of Israel did evil in the sight of God too, bringing a peace brought by violence and death.” It’s the kind of peace that would never last a day without violence and intimidation.
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