Is it possible to shop online without allowing any major tech company to track the purchase back to you? There are a few ways, but with hidden trackers on most websites -- and with companies making billions off our information -- trying to hide is easier said than done. CBS News correspondent Tony Dokoupil put it to the test with Kevin Mitnick.
"Now, you're best known as a hacker," Dokoupil said.
"Well, a security expert," Mitnick said with a laugh.
Mitnick spent five years behind bars after stealing information from major companies like Motorola and Nokia. During a nationwide manhunt in the mid-1990s, he eluded capture for more than two years. He now focuses on protecting corporate security, sharing tips for avoiding surveillance in his book, "The Art of Invisibility: The World's Most Famous Hacker Teaches You How to Be Safe in the Age of Big Brother and Big Data."
"People want to protect their privacy. … And people will go to the trouble of anonymizing themselves to protect their privacy," Mitnick said.
He said using a "privacy" or "incognito" mode on your computer browser is not enough.
"When you normally go on your computer at your home or office, you're assigned an IP address by your internet service provider. And it's quite easy to, you know, track that type of information," Mitnick said.
So what steps did we take to avoid being tracked? It started at the convenience store.
Read the full article and watch the video here.
Source: CBS NEWS