Lance: Anonymizer is a US-based company but since we are not an ISP, we aren't required to maintain records of our customers' activities. We feel it's important to provide the same level of privacy and protection to our consumer customers that we provide to our government customers.

David: Earlier, you said, "They can't set up a terrorist website or create a child porn site." How do you manage this? Do you track/watch everything that flows through your network?

Lance: This comment was actually referring to the fact that Anonymizer does not provide any kind of Web hosting, so we aren't enabling people to create these types of sites.

David: Is there any chance that we'll eradicate identity theft? Can legislation help? What can we do to solve this problem? How can we be sure we're protected?

Lance: There are many debates about this and, frankly, legislation will never be able to eradicate identity theft simply because the Internet has no borders. The majority of online predators are located outside the U.S. so national laws won't touch them. It all boils down to the fact that Internet users need to be aware of the threats that exist and take matters into their own hands. The only way to fight this technology war is by using better technology in conjunction with enhanced security at banks and credit bureaus, appropriate legislation, and consumer awareness. It will take a multi-pronged approach to get on top of this threat.

David: Is there anything else you'd like to tell our readers? Any questions I didn't ask that you'd like to answer?

Lance: Please, please, please educate yourself about Internet threats. Spyware, phishing, pharming, evil twin...the list will continue to grow.

David: Before we finish, you mention "evil twin". I'm not sure what that means. Can you expand on it, please?

Lance: Evil Twins trick wireless users into connecting their laptops or PDAs to a tainted hotspot by posing as a legitimate WiFi provider. Once a user connects to their wireless network, the evil twins can watch their online activities, such as when they log into their online banking account, purchase something online, or check their email. All of this confidential information can be captured and potentially lead to identity theft. Anonymizer's Anonymous Surfing protects users from this threat by routing all of their Internet traffic through our secure servers, thus bypassing the fraudulent hotspot.

David: OK, final, final thoughts?

Lance: People must become aware of and up-to-date on the issues and, especially, learn how to protect themselves. There is an arms race between those trying to protect the public, and the criminals. People need to stay aware and informed to remain safe.

David Gewirtz is the author of How To Save Jobs and Where Have All The Emails Gone? For more than 20 years, he has analyzed current, historical, and emerging issues relating to technology, competitiveness, and policy. David is the Editor-in-Chief of the ZATZ magazines, is the Cyberterrorism Advisor for the International Association for Counterterrorism and Security Professionals, and is a member of the instructional faculty at the University of California, Berkeley extension. He can be reached at david@zatz.com and you can follow him at http://www.twitter.com/DavidGewirtz.