part0004

While this is a work of opinion, it is not a work of fiction. All the stories in this book actually happened. Some are my personal account, some are accounts of contacts, friends or acquaintances of mine and others are publicly reported incidents that I have learned and written about through research (and these accounts are referenced throughout). Some details have been deemed confidential and have been left out, and some of the accounts have also been anonymised by necessity, but they are all true accounts.

I guess the reason I’m telling you this is because I know you may think many cybersecurity measures are the enemy of convenience when it comes to your online and mobile life. I also know that when I talk about online tracking and privacy, your response may be “I’ve got nothing to hide.” On the flip side, you may care very much about your data privacy and security but perhaps you don’t really know what actions you can take to improve it.

Throughout my career in technology and cybersecurity I’ve learned from a great many extremely intelligent people and developed a relative depth of knowledge about what goes on in these arenas. I’m not going to tell you to disconnect from everything and live in a cave – I use a multitude of connected devices and services – but I do think it’s best to combine your connected life with an awareness of the information you’re giving away online, how you’re being tracked and how you may be vulnerable to hackers.

I’m not claiming to be a cybersecurity or online privacy expert, but I have spent much of my 15 year career in technology marketing and communications working with experts and it’s been my job to tell their stories in ways that grasp the imagination.

In this book, I’m going to share some stories with you that will hopefully grasp your imagination and see you taking even just a few small steps to boost yours and your family’s online privacy and cybersecurity. If this intrigues you then read on, if not and you have already bought this book, then thanks and please go and have a drink – I would say on me, but the royalties from one sale won’t cover a pint unfortunately.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this book is accurate at the time of going to press. The tips in this book are meant as a guide and series of suggestions only and no responsibility can be taken by the author or publisher for any outcomes based on the material in this book.