Identity Protection Archives

Can Genetic Testing Be Used Against You?

The question is not “can genetic testing be used against you”, it’s “when will it be used against you”. You see, it’s just a matter of time before your genetic information will be up for grabs. Whether that happens legally or by the brute force of criminal actions is anyone’s guess. The reality of…

Your Cell Phone Says A Lot About You

Your cell phone says a lot about you, and we aren’t talking about that baby Yoda cell phone cover, but who are we to judge? No, we wish that was the most telling information that your cell phone revealed about you. It actually has a lot to do with your privacy, or lack thereof. You…

At What Cost: A Tale of Lost Privacy in America

What price are you willing to pay to learn the exact breakdown of your heritage? Some of the big players in the genetic industry may lead you to believe that you are only going to pay a modest $59 for testing. Unfortunately, the price may actually be much more than that. Take a moment to…

Should We Worry About Eugenics?

With all of the admitted benefits of direct to consumer genetic testing, I think it is also important to speak about it’s seedy underbelly. Let’s talk about the elephant in the room – eugenics. What are eugenics? According to Oxford Dictionary, eugenics is “the science of improving a human population by controlled breeding to increase…

Breaking bonds with Google (Part 1)

For those concerned with internet privacy, Google is fast becoming a problem. We trust them with more information about us than almost any other entity. They know what we search for, which links we click, what emails we get from where, our location history, almost everything a corporation could know about us. For many this…

The Privacy Paradox: Does Privacy Even Matter?

There is an interesting phenomenon that occurs when people talk about privacy. It’s called the “privacy paradox” and it essentially says that people are hypocritical when they are discussing how important privacy is to them. According to this Pew Research article, “The paradox is that people use social media platforms even as they express great concern…

Protecting Online Privacy – Part 1: VPNs

This is the first in a series of blog posts we’ll be publishing on the topic of protecting your privacy online. Secret Sequence puts privacy first, and it’s important to us that our users understand how to protect themselves online. We hope the following will be helpful in protecting yourself online. What is a VPN?…

Pharmaceutical Giant Invests $300 MILLION in 23andme

Big Pharma Wants Your Data Pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced in 2018 that they would be partnering with Direct-to-Consumer DNA Testing Company 23andme. While this partnership may seem harmless on the surface, it underscores the business model of most Direct-to-Consumer genetics companies. Who Owns You? According to medical ethics experts, the real question is, “Who…

Four Ways To Protect Your Data Online

In the age of Big Data, it is important to practice good “digital hygiene” Digital data is the currency of the internet. Your data tells companies where you go, what you do and what you buy. Wherever you go online, you can bet companies are tracking your every move. They are always looking to find…

Surprise! Another Huge Hack with Stolen Identities

This Friday, November 30th, Marriott revealed that they were hacked for hundreds of millions of their customer records and data. According to an ABC News article: “The information of as many as 500 million people staying at Starwood hotels has been compromised and Marriott says it’s uncovered unauthorized access that’s been taking place within its…