Big Changes at the Patriot Privacy and Security Society

Hi folks, Chris here.

You might notice a little different look here. We are changing things and I think you are going to love our new offerings. I wanted to introduce someone that I believe is going to help you immensely, change the way you look at the world, and even help you live a richer and safer life. Rob Douglas is a former private investigator, security expert, and conservative commentator that has joined our team. He’s going to be bringing you exclusive content that you won’t find anywhere else. Take it away Rob…

Introducing Rob Douglas
As I sat down to write this introduction of the exclusive advisories I’ll be providing the Patriot Privacy and Security Society, the latest report from the Guardian newspaper revealing how the National Security Agency is monitoring Americans was published with the headline, XKeyscore: NSA Tool Collects ‘Nearly Everything a User Does On the Internet.’

The report begins with the following two paragraphs:

“A top secret National Security Agency program allows analysts to search with no prior authorization through vast databases containing emails, online chats and the browsing histories of millions of individuals, according to documents provided by whistleblower Edward Snowden.

“The NSA boasts in training materials that the program, called XKeyscore, is its “widest-reaching” system for developing intelligence from the Internet.”

The report goes on to state:

“One presentation (of XKeyscore) claims the program covers “nearly everything a typical user does on the Internet,” including the content of emails, websites visited and searches, as well as their metadata.”

Think about that for a moment. What we’ve long suspected is true. The government of the United States is collecting everything we do on the Internet. Additionally, we know the government is scanning and recording every piece of mail we send and collecting information about every phone call we place.

The fact is, between government agencies and private data brokers, almost every aspect of our lives is being monitored, recorded and stored in vast databases.

So what can you do to protect your privacy and security?

1) Learn who is stealing and/or collecting your personal information.

2) Learn what methods are used to steal and/or collect your personal information.

3) Decide what personal information you want to protect.

4) Take steps to protect that personal information.

I can help you take those steps.

For 30 years, I’ve worked on privacy and security issues – first as a Washington, D.C. private detective and then as a security consultant.

As a private detective, much of my career consisted of investigating homicides, political corruption and international terrorism. In these exclusive advisories, I’ll share details from many fascinating cases and talk about how to protect your physical security.

But it’s what I stumbled across in the mid-90s that started my second career as an information security consultant and provided me with the lessons you need to know if you’re going to protect your assets and privacy.

Originally, I discovered that for just a few dollars anyone could hire “information brokers” who specialize in stealing and selling the private financial, medical and phone records of Americans. The first methods I investigated ranged from social engineering to technology spoofing as a means of penetrating the “secure” information systems of banks, doctors, hospitals and phone companies.

From there, I began researching and investigating the full range of methods used to steal personal and private information. I testified about those methods before Congress, state legislatures and a special grand jury investigating the theft of personal and proprietary information. I was retained as an expert witness and consultant in cases where innocent Americans were gunned down by crazed stalkers who paid information thieves to track their victims. I designed sting operations for state and federal law enforcement agencies in order to identify and prosecute information and identity thieves.
During the course of my research and investigations, I learned that there are both individuals and underground networks of criminals who steal and sell our personal and private information to anyone for a price. Most important, I saw first-hand how personal and private information in the wrong hands can put lives in danger.

As a security consultant, I spent years teaching government agencies, private businesses and business associations how to combat identity and information thieves. I worked for some of the largest corporations in America, including banks, hospitals, phone companies – and yes, even major information brokers – teaching them how the personal information of Americans that they store is being stolen and used to harm innocent victims.

Now, through the exclusive advisories I’ll be writing for the Patriot Privacy and Security Society, I’d like to share what I’ve learned – and what I am still learning every day – with as many people as possible.

If there’s anything I learned from 20 years of investigations in Washington, D.C., it’s that while there are many well-intentioned people who work for the government, the reality is that we can only rely on ourselves when it comes to protecting our information, assets and physical well-being. I cherish liberty and freedom and I want to share what I know with others who feel the same way.

Also, as anyone who watches the news knows, well-intentioned or not, our own government is spying on us in ways that many believe violates the U.S. Constitution. Arguably, it is the duty of every American to know how our government is spying on us and to take appropriate political steps to stop that potentially unlawful and unconstitutional surveillance. But until that political change comes, you have the right to protect your personal privacy from the government.

So here’s the plan. I’ll write regular advisories that provide information about current threats to your privacy and security and discuss what steps you can take to reduce or eliminate the threat. I believe in the maxim that knowledge is power.

Often, just knowing about the threat and how it occurs will empower you to protect yourself. At times, there will be specific steps you’ll need to take to increase your security. No matter what, you’ll be in control at all times. You’ll be empowered to decide whether the specific threat is of concern to you and, if so, whether to take the suggested steps.

In addition to the advisories, I’ll keep you posted about breaking privacy and security news through occasional email alerts. I spend hours every day researching the latest privacy and security threats and monitoring dozens of sources of information. You’ll learn about significant threats and important information as quickly as I do.

The bottom line is this: If you read and act on the advisories and review the email alerts I send your way, in a matter of months you’ll know more about current and developing privacy and security threats than 99 percent of your friends and co-workers.

Most important, you’ll know how to defend against those threats.

Be safe and secure,

Rob Douglas