Customer Reviews

Invasion of Privacy: How to Protect Yourself in the Digital Age

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book for all of you out there that have any doubts is amazing! I was totally oblivious to all of the things that our government is taping into, and with this book I really have become more aware and am able to live with the knowledge of how these things effect my own personal life everyday and that can be more safe. Michael has made me realize just how easy things can be found out and how to protect myself and my family. This is definitely one to pick up!!

Michael Hyatt's book is a very comprehensive book on
privacy. Privacy is an issue of great variance of
importance to people. Some people are very private and
some do not seem to care at all about their privacy.
This range of concern is based on two factors. One is
trust, if you trust who you give your information to and
those organizations that use this information for
various purposes you have a very high tolerance on
privacy. The second is experience in events of privacy
abuse, if you have never had your credit card number or
identity used, or been stalked, you again will have a
very high privacy tolerance. The strength of this book
is that approaches privacy in degrees of the privacy you
want to attain. The book has very current information
and is supported by an even more up to date website.
The book seems to lack much original thought or
direction, but I think that is caused by the author
offering such a wide range of resources to meet the wide
range of privacy desired by the reader. The information
of the book is well summarized and referenced into a
series of "Practical Privacy Tips" lists and another
"Complete Privacy Checklist" in the appendix. This book
is a little shallow in technical areas, but that is
because it is written for the general population. The
reader with a high tech background will enjoy the range
of choices provided. Another element of the book I
enjoyed was the emphasis of having a family or business

privacy plan. While privacy tolerance is a very private
issue, a compromise plan needs to be developed for your
household or office. This book is great privacy primer,
I would have given it five stars, but I had problems
with the emphasis on getting a lock box mailing address.
The author did not emphasize enough the need to
maintain that alternative address for a long time after
you move to another location. Change of address notices
only last six months and need to be renewed for several
years. I know when I got my post office box the mail
from the prior box users continued to be delivered
including what appeared to be preapproved credit card
notices. This minor flaw was out weighed by the quality
and volume of information on protecting your privacy.

Every person in America needs this advice! A member of my family was recently a victim of identity theft, and since it happened we have all been scrambling to find good information on protecting privacy. We bought several books and this one was by far the most informative and simple. In his book, Hyatt offers simple solutions that make you less attractive to criminals. Believe me, watching my loved one go through this identity theft has inspired many to take action and protect ourselves. And this book gives us all the info we need, I HIGHLY recommend!

I have now read several books on privacy. This is the first one I have read that offers real nuts and bolts solutions to privacy problems. The book is full of strategies and tips for ordinary consumers. It has its share of scary stories, but the focus is definitely on empowerment. Hyatt contends that the battle for privacy will be won or lost in the next few years. The responsibility for reclaiming and maintaining privacy is not government or industry; it is ours. In this highly readable book, he provides a step-by-step plan. I highly recommend it!

I was surprised that this book has received 5 stars from everyone reviewing it so far. I do agree that Mr. Hyatt does an excellent job in telling you exactly what to do in protecting your privacy.

However, the time, money and energy spent on this is an enormous investment. I can understand the wisdom of not giving out your social security number freely, but how many people are willing to do the following (these are things the author suggests):

Get a "mail drop" where your mail will be sent to - it's an actual physical address, not a PO Box. Never accept mail addressed to you at your residence.

Don't say anything sensitive on the phone - these discussions should only be in person.

Don't have any credit cards, utilities, or ANYTHING with your real name and address. You can create alternate addresses and alternate identities.

Pay for everything with cash or money orders.

Create a different "identity" - don't use your real name. Create a credit history for this "person" and sign up for utilities in his/her name.

If you have to sign for something, see if a friend or relative will sign it and have it in their name instead.

Don't allow your computer to accept cookies and use Evidence Eliminator software so no one can see where you've been on the internet. Disable Java and Active X.

These are just a few examples. I do believe that there are people who have had trouble with invasion of their privacy, but how far is the average American willing to go to protect their privacy? Is this really necessary? Wouldn't the focus of your life be on keeping your personal information very private?

This book reminded me of what a spy would have to go through - or someone who really has something to hide. Mr. Hyatt, to his credit, doesn't advocate breaking the law, but at times, I think he walks a fine line. Legal, maybe? but is all this ethical? And you can bet that there are a lot of people writing similar books who encourage getting fake IDs, etc.

The name Michael Hyatt might ring a bell in your mind. Mr. Hyatt wrote "The Millenium Bug" and several other books about Y2K. He became interested in "self-reliant living" and privacy issues through the research he did when writing the books about Y2K. In hindsight, of course, the problems Mr. Hyatt forecasted never came to pass. "The Millenium Bug" and similar books, helped fuel the panic and fear and paranoia that was such a part of our culture during 1998 and 1999.

So, you might want to take that into account when making these decisions for yourself and your family.

In today's society were we are certainly technology driven; we have access to unlimited information. The downside is, others also have unlimited information about us whether it be by legal or illegal means. We have all heard horror stories about what happens when unauthorized individuals or groups gain access via the computer highway to personal and financial information and our privacy is, indeed, invaded. It leaves the victim feeling vulnerable, frightened and psychologically terrorized. Identities have been forged, bank accounts emptied, medical records and other personal information accessed.

What can you do to protect yourself and mimimize your risks? "Invasion of Privacy" can be classed as a "must read" for everyone, regardless of age or occupation. What you learn could protect your future. You can rest assured that in this modern-day, high-tech world, lurking somwhere among the computer network of highways and biways, you will find your name is nothing more than a succession of files waiting to be opened. The author reveals excellent strategies and suggestions on how to protect your privacy and minimize risks. Government agencies, banks, insurance companies, hospitals, retail stores, employers, schools, all have in-depth knowledge of you. If you combine all these files together, your whole life is virtually an infinite particle of cyberspace. After reading this book, you will think twice about the seemingly innocent information you give and have a better understanding of how to best protect yourself from cyper-invasion. "Invasion of Privacy" is well written, intriguing and highly recommended.

The information about us that's readily available on the internet is frankly more than a little scary. This book lays out all the hazards but has really practical solutions to each of them. I liked the book because it wasn't just a shock value story where I should just be afraid, it actually broke the problem down into smaller pieces and tells you what to do about it.

Author Michael Hyatt is a best- selling author and speaker who wrote this book to advise individuals on ways to protect themselves in today's digital age. He feels that we need to be aware of the everyday dangers to our personal privacy, and that we should not take this issue lightly.

Hyatt begins the book by discussing the supposed "threat" that exists today, from corporations, individuals, and the government. According to Hyatt, there are threats to your privacy that are all around you, and some are not so obvious to the naked eye. Most of us are aware of some of the threats, like government surveillance and Social Security number theft. But other privacy threats are not quite so obvious, like the threat imposed by using supermarket credit cards. Through the use of these cards, the store is able to keep tabs on all sorts of personal data, which is often more information than many people would want them to have.

In the second and third parts of the book, Hyatt talks about specific strategies to use, to minimize the problems that are caused by invasions of privacy. He recommends, for instance, using a P.O. Box, whenever practical, instead of your home address, to avoid letting others know exactly where you live. He also recommends not carrying your Social Security Card in your wallet, and getting your Social Security number removed from your driver's license and other forms of ID, to reduce the chances of identity theft.

Hyatt wraps of the book with several appendices that are meant to assist the individual in assessing his/her privacy knowledge and risk. There's a privacy self assessment test; a privacy checklist; privacy resource list; family privacy policy; and a public servant questionnaire.

Hyatt seems a little obsessed with his concerns about privacy, and many readers might think he borders on being paranoid. Are we really in this much danger, to justify taking all these measures to protect our privacy? Personally, I think Hyatt goes a bit overboard on a few occassions (like when he recommends not using cordless phones, because someone could be listening in) but I must admit that I did take his advice by removing my Social Security Card from my wallet. I don't carry it with me anymore.

Overall, this is a pretty good book. It's a quick read, and it does give some sound advice on how to protect yourself in the information age. I wouldn't necessarily take everything Hyatt recommends to heart, but I think that some of his recommendations are worth listening to. It's better to be safe, than sorry.

Most of us living in "the land of the free" have no idea how much of our personal business has become the business of big-business, big-government, big-medicine -- and big crime. In this volume, Mr. Hyatt provides not only clear and concise explanations of the problems -- but also provides numerous clear and easy-to-follow steps leading toward solutions.

Mr. Hyatt also provides guides to "levels" of privacy, knowing that not everyone is in the same position or situation or has the same needs. (For example, while all of us should probably exercise far more computer security, not everyone needs an off-shore trust!) Regardless of individual need, most Americans could immediately implement enough security measures (with little or no cost) which would reduce their risk substantially.

For me, the most useful element of the book was the additional resources provided, whether they be websites, books, etc. Thus, an individual with particular needs not treated in-depth will have a starting point in his own research.

I highly recommend this book.

Privacy has become an increasingly important issue for ordinary citizens who thought their personal and concealed. More and more, we've discovered that information we thought was confidential is, in fact, public knowledge . . . or nearly so.

The question for us now is how to protect ourselves from the snoops-the marketers, bill collectors, stalkers, criminals, and so many others that shouldn't really know so much about us. Personal security is a major concern today, so this book is certainly timely. Hyatt reveals how much information about us is available for instant public access or can be uncovered with a little legal (or illicit) research.

Shortly after reading in Invasion of Privacy that I should never give out my Social Security number, I looked into buying a car for my daughter. When the salesman and I came to the question of financing, he sat down at a computer terminal and asked for . . . you guessed it: my Social Security number. After enjoying a good laugh, I asked him why he needed it. His reply: so he could check on what kind of interest rate I could get for the credit. He tapped a few keys and instantly knew my credit rating . . . and a lot more information that I didn't think was any of his business. Real life evidence about what this book reports.

And the book is filled with much more evidence of identity theft, credit card misuse, and how stalkers learn about their victims. And that's just scratching the surface! Reading Hyatt's information-packed book, you'll first learn about the threat. You can evaluate your own vulnerability using the self-assessment in the first of five appendices. With this knowledge in-hand, you have to decide what to do about your privacy. How important is your privacy to you? After learning about corporate spies, predators, and government surveillance, you'll read chapters that will help you determine your preferred level of privacy and security.

The rest of the book describes in fine how-to detail what countermeasures are available to you. Hyatt covers Computers and the Internet, Banking and Finances, Your Physical Address and Mail Privacy, Medical Records, Identification Documents, and Telephone and Fax. You'll be amazed at your exposure and how you can overcome that openness.

You may find yourself wanting even more resources after reading all the information and references in the main text of the book. A Comprehensive Privacy Resource List shows up as Appendix C. When you complete this book, you will feel considerably more aware of your circumstances. You'll know the secrets, so you will understand your vulnerability and what you can do to protect yourself. This topic is amazing as you dig into it, which Invasion of Privacy will help you do.