THE WHATIS.COM WORD-OF-THE-DAY November 1, 2001 pseudonymous profile
______________ TODAY'S SPONSOR: VeriSign - The Internet Trust Company Upgrade your server security to 128-bit SSL encryption! Get VeriSign's FREE guide, "Securing Your Web Site for Business." You will learn everything you need to know about using 128-bit SSL to encrypt your e-commerce transactions for serious online security. Click here! http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;3499051;5058249;p?http://www.verisign.com/cgi-bin/go.cgi?a=n046655740008000 _____________ TODAY'S WORD: pseudonymous profile See our definition with hyperlinks at http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid14_gci779074,00.html A pseudonymous profile is a collection of information about a particular computer user that identifies the user either by their computer's IP address or by a randomly-generated nickname. In general, a pseudonymous profile describes the particular interests, habits, and online activities that can be attributed to a specific user, or at least to a specific computer. Pseudonymous profiling is often used for Web site personalization, or for marketing purposes. Although most organizations that create pseudonymous profiles assure users that they cannot be personally identified, some people have raised concerns. For example, if a user enters personal information at one Web site, it may become available to others. The user profile is linked to the IP address, which may be linked on another Web site to the user's personal information. Spyware objects such as Web bugs can be used to track users from one site to another. Some software products allow users to identify individual users of a multiple-user computer by analyzing data gathered about their keyboard usage, navigation patterns, and Web sites visited. The vendors of one such product, Predictive Networks, use click stream data, artificial intelligence (AI), and mathematical analysis to create complex pseudonymous profiles called Digital Silhouettes that can accurately distinguish specific users. Software products such as WebSafe and Anonymizer are designed to ensure anonymous Web surfing. RELATED TERMS: IP address http://searchwebmanagement.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid27_gci212381,00.html personalization http://searchebusiness.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid19_gci532341,00.html Web bug http://searchwebmanagement.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid27_gci341290,00.html Digital Silhouettes http://searchcrm.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid11_gci559076,00.html ___________________ SELECTED LINKS Interhack explores this topic in "A Failure to Communicate: When a Privacy Seal Doesn't Help." http://www.interhack.net/pubs/truste-web-bug/ A paper at the University of Vanderbilt is titled "Information Privacy in the Marketplace." http://www2000.ogsm.vanderbilt.edu/papers/anonymity/anonymity2_nov10.htm The Independent Order of Odd Fellows is one of many Web sites with a privacy policy. http://www.ioof.org/privacypolicy1.html _____________________________________ QUIZ #14 | Peripherals FireWire, USB, SCSI...how much do you really know about peripherals? 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