Karen Fawcett

A group of Canadian human-rights advocates and computer security researchers has discovered a huge surveillance program in China that may be tracking your phone calls. It’s just the latest in a series of computer-security breaches that may affect travelers.

The system tracks text messages sent by subscribers of Tom-Skype, a joint venture between a Chinese wireless operator and eBay, the Web auctioneer that owns Skype an online phone and text messaging service. It monitors and archives certain Internet text conversations that may or may not include politically incorrect words.

This has focused increased attention on the Chinese government’s Internet monitoring, which created controversy this summer during the Olympic Games in Beijing. It’s estimated that 30,000 or more Chinese Internet “police” were monitoring online traffic, Web sites and blogs for offensive content.

The Chinese may be more overt when it comes to censorship. But no one should be complacent that someone might not be intercepting your calls or emails. More than one divorce complainant has produced reams of emails and .wav files and told it to the judge.

This doesn’t happen in the usual divorce case. But when big bucks are at stake, don’t think a private detective doesn’t have a battalion of computer savvy types who can break into your email account more quickly than you can log on. Some of these geeks probably aren’t even shaving. Welcome to the new generation of kids who can type more quickly than they can write.

Computer security causes many people to have second thoughts. As one who does nearly all transactions on-line, including banking, shopping, booking air tickets and hotel rooms, my credit card may very well be at risk — not to mention my credit worthiness.

Here are some rules consumers should consider following:

- Use one credit card for all of your on-line purchases.
- Change your password frequently and steer away from using your birthday or the name of your first-born son.
- Frequently access the recent transactions of that specific credit card. This can be done either on-line or by telephone.
- If you’re traveling, contact the issuing bank and advise them of your itinerary.
- Be sure to have a four digit pin code in order to withdraw money from an ATM. Change the code after each trip.

Back to the initial point, never send an email with information that could ruin you or your business and certainly don’t do it over a public unsecured WiFi connecton. There’s a reason companies set up encrypted Intranet communications systems. And even they’re not infallible.

Being able to speak to friends and family, not to mention business associates is a terrific tool and Skype claims it’s secure and customers shouldn’t worry. But in the event you’re having a tryst or something more, find a different way to communicate and say nothing that can be misinterpreted.

Come to think of it, that’s probably a rule we should all take to heart.

Karen Fawcett is president of Bonjour Paris.