I am no expert, but I can find out a lot about you online. I can drop your name in a search engine, plug in your name on Facebook or use a people directory to gather, at the very least, basic information about you. Your full name, date of birth, address, employment history and known associates are all pieces of the 'who you are puzzle' that is relatively simple to put together.

In many cases, we give up our privacy. Yes, we do. We voluntarily forfeit our right to keep our personal information to ourselves. Think about it. Have you subscribed to any email newsletter mailing lists recently? Have you posted personal images and videos to Facebook and Twitter? Are you using GPS and geo-location services like Foursquare to share addresses with your friends? If you answered 'yes' to any of those questions, then at some point, you forfeited your privacy.

Sometimes, our privacy is stolen without knowledge or explicit consent. Browser-based tracking cookies, data-mining websites, virus-infected apps and phishing sites all conspire against us to steal our personal data.

Having too much, or worse, inaccurate data in cyberspace is potentially detrimental. Employers now routinely do background checks on potential employees by searching for them online. Smart women (and some men) will do a Google search before deciding to date. Also, criminals search for and use your personal data to enrich themselves at your expense.

stay connected

In an age where everything is connected, where we need everything to be connected to be efficient, should we say goodbye to privacy? Perhaps, yes. (Hey, I am only being honest).

Soon it will not be possible to pay a utility bill, conduct basic bank transactions and research homework, without plugging in and giving up information to the gatekeepers. Until that day comes, there are some guidelines to limit (not prevent) your data from becoming accessible to the wrong people.

First and foremost, and I can't emphasise this enough, get a strong password. Using an easy password for all applications across the Internet is a bad idea. Have at least three different passwords; highest level for primary email and banking, secondary level for social networking and general email and a tertiary email for random sites you visit.

Be paranoid. Maybe not literally, but a little paranoia is good. Evaluate sites and emails with a doubtful eye; if anything seems out of place or off, avoid it. This is particularly true of bank-related emails that may look legitimate and then ask you to send your information.

Tweak, then tweak again. The world changes and so too do the privacy policies on Facebook and other social networking sites. That recently posted picture of you drunk at a party which was only viewable by a few close friends, may become public with a site update. Check your settings regularly.

beware your friends

Accept that your friends are not your friends. Once it is posted online, it is available to the world, not just your friends. Good and bad friends alike can download and repost information in a public space, denying you your right to privacy.

Give up cookies. A good cyber diet involves refusing cookies (tracking data gathered by websites) that are not necessary or malicious. Rather than turning on and off the cookie function on your browser, try switching to the 'private browsing' options when visiting questionable sites.

There will come a time when phones will replace credit cards and we'll log into our computers with facial recognition rather than passwords. It will be a time when not even our living rooms will be private and Big Brother will have access to our most personal moments. But, until then, take a moment to look over your cyber network and protect yourself from the anti-privacy invasion.

Tech Glitch: Dave says, "I've bought a new HD flat-screen plasma TV, but the picture quality doesn't wow me. Is there something I can do?"

Tech Fix: HD TVs look best with an HD source such as HD cable service, like Flow, HD game console like the Xbox 360 or HD digital video stream like AppleTV using an HDMI cable. RCA and coaxial cables do work, but much of the effect is lost. So, ensure you have the right source and right connection for the best picture.

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