Unbeknownst

Unbeknownst, adjective, un·​be·​knownst: happening without one's knowledge: unknown

Synonyms and other words: unknown, unaware, unfamiliar, ignorant, unsuspected, unsuspecting, unrecognized, unmindful, unconscious, unwitting, unknowing, unperceived, unacquainted.

According to SG Analytics...

• There are 5.52 billion internet users globally.

• 67.1% of the total population uses the internet.

• 97 million people have started using the internet for the first time over the past 12 months, showing a year-on-year increase of 1.8 percent.

• China holds the highest number of internet users, with 1.1 billion, followed by India, which has 881.3 million users, and the United States, which has 311.3 million users.

• An individual spends 6 hours and 31 minutes daily using the internet.

• 95.9% of internet users use smartphones to browse the internet.

• Social media is used by almost 95% of internet users globally, accounting for 5.17 billion social media users.

  
  

/Backstory

For decades, many scientists, technologists, and inventors theorized, experimented, and ultimately succeeded in advancing the technology that has been instrumental in leading us to today. Here are a few tipping points ...

• 1947: Bell Labs physicists John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley invented the transistor and shared the 1956 Nobel Prize in Physics for their achievement.

• 1958: The invention of the integrated circuit (1958).

• 1969: ARPANET, the precursor to the Internet, marked a crucial step in creating interconnected computer networks.

• 1971: The introduction of the microprocessor.

• 1970s: The personal computer made digital technology more accessible to individuals.

• 1980s: Widespread adoption of personal computers in homes, schools, and businesses.

• 1989: The invention of the World Wide Web by Tim Berners-Lee opened up the internet to the public, leading to an explosion in digital information and communication.

• 1990s - Present: The digital age continues to evolve with the rise of the internet, social media, and smartphones--extraordinary developments in less than a human lifetime

Layer upon layer of discovery and innovation, made possible by a few very smart and creative individuals in government, academia, and industry, helped usher in this global bazaar, populated by saints, sinners, and everyone in between.

Ready or not, we are being shepherded toward the next great unknown: Artificial Intelligence. Technically baffling and largely unknown to most, AI is driving profound, transformative change.

/The Public and Private You

For those of you born before the Internet of Things (IoT), our government and various other public and private entities were already collecting and storing our personal information in paper files.

For everyone born into the digital age, much more is known about the public and private "you." Your online browsing, shopping, and social media exchanges generate "data points" that are collected, analyzed, and monetized. Your purchasing habits, health records, and geolocation are used to build detailed consumer profiles. Google, Meta, Amazon, Apple, and others use these profiles to fuel their advertising campaigns.

Here are some others interested in you:

Data Brokers 2025: "Today, there are over 4,000 data brokering companies worldwide. Acxiom, one of the largest, has 23,000 servers collecting & analyzing consumer data, Data for 500 million consumers worldwide, and up to 3,000 data points per person – and that’s just one company." More The data broker market was estimated to be around $270 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow significantly. More

This industry collects, aggregates, and sells personal data to other businesses, government agencies, and advertisers. Examples: Experian, Equifax, Acxiom, and Epsilon gather information from public records (birth certificates, marriage licenses, court records), commercial sources (purchase history, loyalty programs), and online activity.

Uses: Sell these profiles or access to their databases for targeted marketing, risk assessment, fraud prevention, including "people search" services.

Advertisers and Ad-Tech Companies: Facilitate the buying and selling of ad space and user data to deliver targeted ads. They use various tracking technologies, such as cookies and pixels, to monitor online behavior. More

Retailers and E-commerce Platforms: Many retailers collect data on your purchase history, loyalty programs, and browsing habits to deliver personalized offers

Financial Institutions and Insurance Companies: Collect extensive financial and personal data for credit assessments, loan approvals, insurance underwriting, and fraud detection. Uses: purchase data from data brokers to supplement their profiles.

App Developers: Mobile apps can collect a wide range of information: location data, contacts, microphone activity, and browsing history. Unbeknownst to the consumer, consent is buried in the fine print of terms and conditions. Uses: personalization, advertising, or sold to third parties.

Governments and Law Enforcement: While they typically have legal processes to obtain data, they may also purchase data from data brokers, sometimes bypassing traditional warrant requirements for certain types of information.

/Recent Disruptions

"The possibility that data could be inadvertently exposed in a misconfigured or otherwise unsecured database is a longtime privacy nightmare that has been difficult to fully address. But the new discovery of a massive trove of 184 million records—including Apple, Facebook, and Google logins and credentials for accounts connected to multiple governments—underscores the risks of recklessly compiling sensitive information in a repository that could become a single point of failure." Wired magazine, May 22, 2025:

June 6, 2025: United Natural Foods cyberattack. "How the cyberattack against UNFI affected 4 independent grocers." More

These and other incidents have been extensively reported. Still, if you're experiencing a bit of media fatigue, you might have overlooked or chosen to ignore them. On the other hand, if you were aware of such mishaps, it probably reinforced your paranoia and further eroded your trust. Here's a short list of some of the biggest, trust-busting data breaches.

2016: Yahoo "In what remains the largest data breach in history, Yahoo disclosed in 2016 that two separate intrusions had occurred years earlier. A 2014 breach compromised the names, email addresses, phone numbers, and hashed passwords of at least 500 million user accounts. A second, even larger breach from 2013, which was not disclosed until after the first announcement, affected all 3 billion Yahoo user accounts. More

2017: Equifax "The credit reporting agency Equifax suffered a catastrophic breach that exposed the highly sensitive personal and financial data of approximately 148 million Americans, along with 15.2 million British citizens and 19,000 Canadians. " More

2018 (Disclosed) Cambridge Analytica Scandal "In the mid-2010s, a University of Cambridge researcher named Aleksandr Kogan created a personality quiz app called "thisisyourdigitallife." Approximately 270,000 Facebook users consented to take the quiz.

Data Exposed: The harvested data included user profiles, "likes," locations, and other personal details, which were used to build detailed psychographic profiles. Cambridge Analytica then used these profiles to target voters with personalized political advertising during the 2016 U.S. presidential election." More

2019 Facebook "In 2019, a security researcher at the GDI Foundation discovered an unprotected server containing a database with information on more than 530 million Facebook users. This database, accessible to anyone, included phone numbers and Facebook IDs, locations, email addresses, and other user profile details, making it easier to find users' names and other personal data. By April 2021, this data had been posted for free online on a hacking forum." More

If you really want to delve into the topic, I stumbled across the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, "Privacy Rights Clearinghouse brings together publicly reported data breach notifications from across U.S. government agencies into a single, searchable database."

/Protecting Your Online Privacy

"Data security for end-users involves practices and technologies that protect individuals' data and systems from unauthorized access, theft, or damage. This includes using strong passwords, enabling multi-factor authentication, practicing secure browsing, and exercising caution with email and downloads. End-user security awareness is also crucial, encompassing an understanding of potential threats and the implementation of preventive measures." More

Here's a breakdown of key areas and practices based on an AI search result.

1. Password Security and Access Control:

Strong, unique passwords:

• Use a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Avoid easily guessable information, such as birthdays or names.

• Multi-factor authentication (MFA):

  • Implement MFA wherever possible to add an extra layer of security beyond just a password.

• Password managers:

  • Consider using a password manager to securely store and generate strong passwords.

• Access controls:

  • Ensure that only authorized users have access to sensitive data and systems.

• Regular password changes:

  • While not always necessary, periodically changing passwords can help mitigate risks if a password has been compromised.

2. Secure Browsing and Communication:

HTTPS:

• Always use HTTPS (encrypted) when browsing the internet, especially for sensitive transactions.

Be wary of phishing attempts:

• Avoid clicking on links or opening attachments from unknown or suspicious sources.

Use a VPN: .

• Employ a VPN when connecting to public or unsecured Wi-Fi networks to encrypt your traffic.

Secure file transfer: .

• Use secure methods (like SFTP or HTTPS) to transfer files, especially those containing sensitive information.

Email security:

• Be cautious about the emails you open and what links or attachments you click. Avoid using public email for sensitive information.

3. Device Security:

Keep software updated:

• Regularly update your operating system, applications, and security software to patch vulnerabilities.

• Install antivirus and anti-malware software: Ensure you have reputable security software and keep it updated.

Use a firewall:

• Enable a firewall to block unauthorized access to your device.

• Lock your device: Always lock your computer or mobile device when unattended.

Backups:

• Regularly back up your data to a secure location.

4. Data Security Practices:

Data encryption:

• Encrypt sensitive data, both in transit and at rest, to protect it from unauthorized access.

Data classification:

• Understand and classify your data to ensure appropriate security measures are applied.

Data loss prevention (DLP):

• Implement DLP solutions to prevent sensitive data from leaving your control.

Secure data storage:

• Ensure that your data is stored in a secure location and that access is restricted.
  

5. Security Awareness:

• Training and education: Participate in security awareness training to understand common threats and best practices.

• Recognize phishing attempts: Learn to identify phishing emails and other social engineering tactics.

• Be aware of your surroundings: Be mindful of shoulder surfing and other physical security threats.

• Report security incidents: If you suspect a security breach, report it immediately to the appropriate authorities.

  
  

More to follow in a future blog.

Your thoughts, comments, and suggestions are always welcome. Paz