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Substantiating trust

BY J. CARLTON COLLINS, CPA

Please note: This item is from our archives and was published in 2014. It is provided for historical reference. The content may be out of date and links may no longer function.

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Q: When introduced to new privacy solutions (such as DuckDuckGo or Disconnect), what assurances do we have that these solutions aren’t themselves stealthily tracking our computing or internet activities?

A: Before trusting a lesser-known privacy solution, at a minimum make sure that it meets the following criteria:

  1. The company makes definitive public statements confirming it will not collect your data (which could subject it to lawsuits if it does).
  2. The company undergoes annual or periodic security audits by reputable auditors, and those findings are made public.
  3. The company is endorsed by well-known, high-profile companies that have a vested interest in protecting their reputations.

J. Carlton Collins (carlton@asaresearch.com) is a technology consultant, CPE instructor, and a JofA contributing editor.

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