Digital Media

The paper should be 3-5 pages, double-spaces, 10-12 point font, with 1-inch margins. You should also label your paper with which option you chose.
*If you are uncertain what I mean by “academic” article/book, please let me know.

Option 1:

This assignment allows you to think through how data gathering and surveillance functions in your own life. This will allow you to make more conscious and deliberate decisions about how much you want to be tracked and to what extent you want to protect your data. We will use the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Surveillance Self-Defense Guide to do this. You can find the full resource here: https://ssd.eff.org/en
(Links to an external site.)
(Much of the information is targeted towards high-risk individuals like journalists and activists.)

First, research what your vulnerabilities might be and/or what tracking and privacy practices you might be opting into without know. Read through these guides from the EFF:
Protecting Yourself on Social Networks: https://ssd.eff.org/en/module/protecting-yourself-social-networks
(Links to an external site.)

Communicating with Others: https://ssd.eff.org/en/playlist/want-security-starter-pack#communicating-others
(Links to an external site.)

How Do I Protect Myself Against Malware: https://ssd.eff.org/en/module/how-do-i-protect-myself-against-malware
(Links to an external site.)

The Problem with Mobile Phones: https://ssd.eff.org/en/module/problem-mobile-phones
(Links to an external site.)

(You might also want to run this diagnostic on your browser to determine how protected you are from tracking: https://panopticlick.eff.org/
(Links to an external site.)
)

If these resources don’t fit your needs, you might want to use some of the EFF’s other materials instead. You are also free find your own resources beyond what is required above.

Based on your reading and research, identify three changes that you could make to give you better control over your data and privacy. What they are will depend on what you are doing already. It could range from basic privacy setting to fully encrypted anonymous communication.

Your paper should:

Detail the three changes you could make.
Explain what you are doing now and what the potential problem is with that practice/setting/etc.
Explain what you could change to mitigate this risk/vulnerability/privacy risk/etc.
Indicate whether you intend to make this change and why or why not.
Cite the above EFF or other equivalent resources in your discussion of each possible change.
Use this resource as one resource: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2017/06/06/theme-3-risk-is-part-of-life-the-internet-of-things-will-be-accepted-despite-dangers-because-most-people-believe-the-worst-case-scenario-would-never-happen-to-them/