We covered the IRS data breach earlier this week, but I haven’t mentioned the hacking incident of Ashley Madison, a website that facilitates adultery. Last month, hackers managed to steal the user names, passwords, and even credit card info for 32 million users of the site. Here’s an article from Wired.com.

Given that the “social network” is a hub for cheating spouses, this will have ramifications far beyond the usual identity theft.

The group that hacked Ashley Madison has released a 9.7 gigabyte torrent with all the information, so those 32 million accounts are basically public now. Surprise! A lot of lives are about to change forever.

The internet enjoyed a good run as an anonymous haven where people could interact without any fear of having their online personas linked to their real-life identity. But with each data breach, each compromise, and each new surveillance program visited upon us by both governmental and private entities, it’s becoming clear that the internet will no longer allow anonymity. Plan accordingly.

And so, I am adding a new commandment to my list of credit commandments:

Whatever you’re doing, assume someone else is watching.

This commandment isn’t about being paranoid; it’s about being realistic. I’m not saying the government puts listening devices in our cheese. I’m saying you need to modulate your behavior (especially online) in case it ever becomes public.

This extends from posting drunken pictures on Facebook to creating accounts at “dating” websites for the purpose of cheating on your spouse. If you don’t want anyone to know what you’re doing, there’s a good chance what you’re doing is wrong. Think twice before acting.

I’m not justifying all the surveillance that goes on at all. I think it’s appalling. But rather than rage impotently against the system, the savvy user of technology accepts current reality and acts accordingly.