Blown to Bits

Blown to Bits
Hal Abelson, Ken Ledeen, and Harry Lewis
Addison-Wesley
ISBN: 0-13-713559-9
Non-Fiction, Contemporary
Reviewed by Tami Brady

Big brother is watching. The world that George Orwell predicted in his book 1984 is here. What’s more, we love it.

The digital age has changed our lives. So much is now at our disposable, instantly. Need to contact someone who is out of their office, just phone their cell phone. Want the latest news or gossip about your favorite movie star, just surf the internet. Looking for a great deal on your next new car, do a little research on the net. Nothing could be more simply.

On a day to day basis most of us only think about the convenience factor. Yes, we all are irritated by spam and once in a while we might do a virus or spyware scan in an attempt to make sure that our information stays safe. What we don’t tend to realize is that our personal information is already out there: every angry blog entry you ever wrote, information about what sites you visit, medical history, credit rating information. The list is endless.

Blown to Bits educates us about what bits of our life is available for public view. The reality is that we can’t completely erase our personal digital footprint. However, there are a few things we can do to protect ourselves to some extent.