"Privacy - to be or not to be....that be the question!"

One challenge to an individual's privacy on the internet is that the information passes through so many different computer systems. Each of those systems can monitor, capture, and store that information. Many systems can know your browser history and what specifically you looked at on those sites.
Another, problem is that websites can learn identities of their visitors involuntarily. They use cookies, or small text files deposited on a computer hard drive when a user visits Web sites. The site uses its information to customize to your preferences.
A third way, is through spyware. It is a program that secretly installs itself on an internet user's computer by piggybacking on a larger application. It then calls out for ad banners and records your movements on the web.
One way a company can safeguard itself is by using technical solutions. New technologies are always being developed and used to protect privacy during web interactions. Many of these use encrypting tools to make e-mail and surfing activities anonymous. They also prevent computers form accepting cookies, and can detect spyware.