Concerns about information privacy on the internet often involve email--receiving email you don't want (spam), and fears that your email might be read by someone you don't know.  Here are some tips and tools to manage your email privacy:

Know your messenger.    
For example, ask your Internet Service Provider (ISP) what precautions they have in place.  If you use an on-line greeting card service, "send this page to a friend" link that leads to a form, remailer or free e-mail service, be aware that you are providing your email address and that of the addressee. Are you using a public facility for entering or transferring data?   Email transactions involving any third-party will involve some risk, so take the time to get to know who's handling your mail. You can "send a page to a friend" without using a third-party in MS Internet Explorer by selecting "File/Send" and one of the options ("Page by E-mail..." or "Link by E-mail...").

Report suspects.
Let your ISP know if you receive a request for your password or other personal information, or if you're receiving too much spam.  In some states, Internet junk email might be illegal; check with your state Attorney General's office.

Don't talk to strangers.   
If you put up a homepage, figuring out your address is a possibility even if you do not specifically state it on the page. Your name in a directory can lead to your email address especially if your name and email address are very similar. News groups, bulletin boards and Chat rooms are not secure.  Email from you tells recipients your email address. Consider using a third-party such as ZeroKnowledge  to do email transactions and do other transactions anonymously.  Or, consider using a third-party remailer such as the Anonymizer.  Such third-parties might not be perfect, but helpful.  Consider using more than one e-mail account; perhaps one at a Community Access Center. But, in all cases, remember to Know your messenger. Even if off-line be careful not to give out information that can be joined with on-line information --- like having your Social Security Number in a public file or giving out your address over the phone or giving your mother's real maiden name. Beware of any stranger appealing to your sympathy, fear, sense of duty, vanity, laziness, lust, guilt or greed.

Turn the tables.   
Consider putting an extra word or character in your postal address.  If you later receive regular mail that's addressed with the extra word or character, you'll know who's been sharing your information--without your permission.  

Don't leave entrances open. 
Close every password-protected program and all associated windows or shut-down the computer before walking away. Consider password protecting access to system resources with a screen saver or with a system start-up log-in prompt.

Read their privacy policy.  
Policy statements (like for security and privacy) should be easy to find and understand ---explaining the type of information gathered, use and protection in place. Look for the ability to review and modify gathered information.  Read the fine print, too. 

Limit physical access by others.   
For example, does the cleaning crew have access to your media, machine or memos?   Can others walk up to your computer and send emails on your behalf?

Don't allow eavesdroppers. 
S/MIME email programs can scramble messages; only the proper receiver can unscramble the message. That's cryptography, i.e. encryption encodes messages  and decryption decodes them.  

Suspect messages with broken seals.
SSL browsers and S/MIME email programs detect even the slightest message tampering. That's integrity validation.

Update your email programs. 
Get the most recent version possible to obtain the latest security technology.  A program with an encryption feature will display it proudly in ads.  Consider 128-bit encryption is better than say 40-bit encryption. 

Use tools from trusted sources.
Leading email programs come from well-known companies.  As new email programs become available, check out the program's development company.  For example,  do they have a write-up in a credible magazine? Verify it with trade publications such as ZdNet , PCWorld,  Public Broadcasting Service and others.   Whether buying, borrowing or downloading, obtain your program from a reputable source.  Try Netscape or Microsoft  (Microsoft Outlook Express comes free with Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows 2000) .  

Avoid known spammers. 
Use your email program's ability to block certain senders from your email inbox. This feature should be available even on email programs that are not S/MIME.  See the email program's Help under spam or junk mail. Check out anti-spam listings.

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