Using the Internet Anonymously?
published at Technology Review By Kate Greene
New open-source software by IBM could let people minimize their digital footprints, potentially curbing online fraud
Think about the last time you bought a DVD, booked a flight, rented a car, or signed up for a service or newsletter on the Internet. At some point, you had to fill out a form that asked for a lot of personal information. While it's a hassle unto itself, filling out forms can lead to a bigger problem: each time you give out your information, you provide an opportunity for your information to be picked off by identity thieves.
As more services migrate online, and as tactics of identity thieves become more sophisticated, people will need better ways to manage their information, says Nataraj Nagaratnam, chief architect of identity management for IBM Tivoli.
Nagaratnam and other IBM researchers have developed open-source software that they think can help. Called Identity Mixer (Idemix), the digital identity management software lets people make online transactions--from filling out forms to purchasing plane tickets--without disclosing personal information. The software lets a person use artificial identity information, in the form of digital "tokens," to make online transactions. Using these encrypted tokens, which are issued by trusted sources such as the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) or a bank, a person can effectively be anonymous to Web services such as Amazon.com or Expedia, never giving out his or her information.
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