Archive for the ‘NetTrax’ Category

Gotcha: This is an unrecognized computer …

November 9, 2015

If you do any banking online, you’ve probably gotten that message at one time or another.

Maybe it was when you got a new computer … or, when you used a friend’s computer to pay a bill.

You probably didn’t think much of it.

You just answered the security questions and paid your bill.

Bet you didn’t stop to wonder: How did Bank of Boise know that this wasn’t my usual computer?

Better yet, ask: How does the bank know when I am on my regular computer?

Well, now that I’ve aroused you curiosity, the answer is ….

Your computer has its own distinctive “device fingerprints” that make it identifiable on the Net as your computer.

image

I worry about stuff like this.  So, I’d thought about this one.

And, my thinking was wrong.

Here’s what’s going on …

(more…)

Posted in Device fingerprinting, Fingerprinting digital devices, Internet Tracking, NetTrax, Predictive Analytics, Privacy, Privacy issues | Leave a Comment »

Gotcha: This is an unrecognized computer …

March 26, 2015

If you do any banking online, you’ve probably gotten that message at one time or another.

Maybe it was when you got a new computer … or, when you used a friend’s computer to pay a bill.

You probably didn’t think much of it.

You just answered the security questions and paid your bill.

Bet you didn’t stop to wonder: How did Bank of Boise know that this wasn’t my usual computer?

Better yet, ask: How does the bank know when I am on my regular computer?

Well, now that I’ve aroused you curiosity, the answer is ….

Your computer has its own distinctive “device fingerprints” that make it identifiable on the Net as your computer.

image

I worry about stuff like this.  So, I’d thought about this one.

And, my thinking was wrong.

Here’s what’s going on …

(more…)

Posted in Device fingerprinting, Fingerprinting digital devices, Internet Tracking, NetTrax, Predictive Analytics, Privacy, Privacy issues | Leave a Comment »

Disruption: Automating knowledge work …

December 19, 2014

In the old days, folks fretted (or dreamed) about the effect of computerized automation in factories and ATMs replacing bank tellers.

According to a recent McKinsey report:

Physical labor and transactional tasks have been widely automated …

image

Now, advances in data analytics, low-cost computer power, machine learning, and interfaces that “understand” humans are moving the automation frontier rapidly towards “knowledge work”..

Developments in how machines process language and understand context are allowing computers to search for information and find patterns of meaning at superhuman speed.

Here are a couple of examples …

(more…)

Posted in Disruptive Innovation, NetTrax, Predictive Analytics | Leave a Comment »

Gotcha: This is an unrecognized computer …

November 25, 2014

If you do any banking online, you’ve probably gotten that message at one time or another.

Maybe it was when you got a new computer … or, when you used a friend’s computer to pay a bill.

You probably didn’t think much of it.

You just answered the security questions and paid your bill.

Bet you didn’t stop to wonder: How did Bank of Boise know that this wasn’t my usual computer?

Better yet, ask: How does the bank know when I am on my regular computer?

Well, now that I’ve aroused you curiosity, the answer is ….

Your computer has its own distinctive “device fingerprints” that make it identifiable on the Net as your computer.

image

I worry about stuff like this.  So, I’d thought about this one.

And, my thinking was wrong.

Here’s what’s going on …

(more…)

Posted in Device fingerprinting, Fingerprinting digital devices, Internet Tracking, NetTrax, Predictive Analytics, Privacy, Privacy issues | 1 Comment »

Disruption: Automating knowledge work …

December 17, 2013

In the old days, folks fretted (or dreamed) about the effect of computerized automation in factories and ATMs replacing bank tellers.

According to a recent McKinsey report:

Physical labor and transactional tasks have been widely automated …

image

Now, advances in data analytics, low-cost computer power, machine learning, and interfaces that “understand” humans are moving the automation frontier rapidly towards “knowledge work”..

Developments in how machines process language and understand context are allowing computers to search for information and find patterns of meaning at superhuman speed.

Here are a couple of examples …

(more…)

Posted in Disruptive Innovation, NetTrax, Predictive Analytics | Leave a Comment »

Gotcha: This is an unrecognized computer.

June 19, 2013

If you do any banking online, you’ve probably gotten that message at one time or another.

Maybe it was when you got a new computer … or, when you used a friend’s computer to pay a bill.

You probably didn’t think much of it.

You just answered the security questions and paid your bill.

Bet you didn’t stop to wonder: How did Bank of Boise know that this wasn’t my usual computer.

Well, now that I’ve aroused you curiosity, the answer is ….

You’re computer has its own distinctive “device fingerprints” that make it identifiable on the Net as your computer.

image

I worry about stuff like this.  So, I’d thought about this one.

And, my thinking was wrong.

Here’s what’s going on …

(more…)

Posted in Device fingerprinting, Fingerprinting digital devices, Internet Tracking, NetTrax, Predictive Analytics, Privacy, Privacy issues | Leave a Comment »

NetTrax: You can run, but you can’t hide ….

June 12, 2013

Been reading a book called Big Data, Big Analytics …

Given the flap over the Feds grabbing phone and Internet info, this caught my eye.

Book quotes a guy named Niv Singer, Chief Technology Officer at Tracx, a social media intelligence software provider.

Niv says:

“It can sometimes be a real challenge to unify social profiles for a single user who may be using different names or handles on each of their social networks …

image

… so we’ve built an algorithm that combs through key factors including content of posts, and location, among others, to provide a very robust identity unification.”

Singer explained that they are combining social check-in data from Facebook, Foursquare, and similar social sites and applications over maps to show information … down to the street level where conversations are happening

Source

=====

English translation: You can run, but you can’t hide …they’ll find you.

* * * * *
Follow on Twitter @KenHoma                         >> Latest Posts

.

Posted in Internet - General, Internet Tracking, NetTrax | Leave a Comment »

Pssst: What’s your pet’s name?

June 11, 2013

According to Javelin Strategy & Research … 1 in 8 onliners post their pet’s name to social media sites, even though its a fairly common challenge question used to confirm identities.

More generally, Javelin warns that consumers’ social media and mobile behaviors may be putting them at greater risk.

image

 

in 2011,  identity fraud increased by 13 percent … more than 11.6 million adults became a victim of identity fraud in the United States,

Javelin reports that “consumers are still sharing a significant amount of personal information frequently used to authenticate a consumer’s identity.”

Specifically,

  • 68 percent of people with public social media profiles shared their birthday information (with 45 percent sharing month, date and year);
  • 63 percent shared their high school name;
  • 18 percent shared their phone number;
  • 12 percent shared their pet’s name

All are prime examples of personal information a company would use to verify you

Source

Posted in Internet - Soc Networking, Internet Tracking, NetTrax, Online privacy | Leave a Comment »

“No direct access to our central servers” … hmmm.

June 8, 2013

Last Thursday, the Washington Post outted the Feds Internet monitoring program Prism.

For details see the Washington Post article: NSA slides explain the PRISM data-collection program

image

On Friday, most of the Internet companies reported to be part of the Fed’s Prism monitoring program expressed outrage and denied their involvement.

Did you notice that practically all of the denials centered  on the same exact phrase:

That the companies didn’t provide the Feds with “direct access to our central servers”.

Hmmm … that raises some questions, doesn’t it?

(more…)

Posted in Gotcha, Internet - General, Internet - Soc Networking, Internet Tracking, NetTrax, Online privacy | Leave a Comment »

NetTrax Tip: Enable “private browsing” on your iPad …

May 31, 2013

A tip from Business Insider …

image

* * * * *
Follow on Twitter @KenHoma            >> Latest Posts

Posted in Internet Tracking, NetTrax, Privacy | Leave a Comment »

Disruption: Automating knowledge work …

May 24, 2013

In the old days, folks fretted (or dreamed) about the effect of computerized automation in factories and ATMs replacing bank tellers.

According to a recent McKinsey report:

Physical labor and transactional tasks have been widely automated …

image

Now, advances in data analytics, low-cost computer power, machine learning, and interfaces that “understand” humans are moving the automation frontier rapidly towards “knowledge work”..

Developments in how machines process language and understand context are allowing computers to search for information and find patterns of meaning at superhuman speed.

Here are a couple of examples …

(more…)

Posted in Disruptive Innovation, NetTrax, Predictive Analytics | Leave a Comment »

NetTrax: What’s the fundamental difference between designer shoes and cars?

May 22, 2013

From an online retailing perspective it’s simple …

Once you buy a car you’re probably out of the market for awhile

… but once you buy a pair of designer shoes, you’re probably going to buy more of them.

image

Why does that matter to an online retailer?

(more…)

Posted in Internet - General, Internet Marketing - eCommerce -, Internet Tracking, NetTrax | Leave a Comment »

NetTrax: You’re leaving cookie crumbs on the net … lots of them

May 8, 2013

What happens when you click to a web site?

Short answer: you have new cookies installed on your computer or have old cookies modified  … whether you know it or not … and  you then spew crumbs all over the Internet … letting companies track you, profile you, and hard sell you stuff.

Here’s a visual of what a couple of clicks can do … each dot represents a  site or company that can grab your information … just because you innocently clicked.

Later we’ll explain the graphic and what’s going on.

image

First some background on web tracking …

(more…)

Posted in Internet - Soc Networking, Internet Marketing - eCommerce -, NetTrax, Predictive Analytics | 1 Comment »