COMPUTERS AND INFORMATION PROCESSING (CHAPTER 9)

Privacy

concerns the collection and use of data about individuals or companies to deny or restrict the collection, use, and dissemination of information

Huge databases store data online

Three primary privacy issues

Accuracy – responsibility of those who collect data

Property – who owns data and who has rights to software

Access – responsibility of those who control data and use of data

Treats

Large Databases

Personal information is a marketable commodity

According to Freedom of Information Act,

Big Data is exploding and ever-growing

Information Resellers/Brokers

Private Networks

Employers can monitor e-mail legally

Online Identity

The information that people voluntarily post

Archiving and search features of the Web

Major Laws on Privacy

The Internet and the Web

Illusion of anonymity

When browsing the web, critical information is stored on the hard drive

History Files
Temporary Internet Files

A.History Files

Include locations or addresses of sites you have recently visited

B. Temporary Internet Files

Saved files from visited websites

Offers quick re-display when you return to the site

C.Cookies

small data files that are deposited on your hard disk from web sites

First-party:generated only by websites you are visiting

Third-party: generated by an advertising company that is affiliated with the website

Use for variety of reasons: Allow for personalization, store users’ passwords


D. Privacy Modes

Ensures your browsing activity is not recorded on your hard drive

Eliminates history files as well as blocks most cookies

E. Privacy Threats

Web bugs


Invisible images or HTML code is hidden within an e-mail message or web page

Spyware


Wide range of programs that are designed to secretly record and report Internet activities

Computer monitoring software


Invasive and dangerous

Anti-Spyware programs


Detect and remove privacy threats

Security

A digital security risk is any event or action that could cause a loss of or damage to a computer or mobile device hardware, software, data, information, or processing capability

Hackers


Gain unauthorized access with malicious intent

Any illegal act involving the use of a computer or related devices

A cybercrime is an online or Internet-based illegal act

Cybercrime / Computer Crime


A criminal offense that involves a computer and a network


Types: Identity theft, Internet scam, Data manipulation, Ransomware, Denial of service

Malware


Designed by crackers, computer criminals, to damage or disrupt a computer system


Consists of programs that act without a user’s knowledge and deliberately alter the operations


Computer Fraud and Abuse Act makes spreading a virus a federal offense

Common programs: Viruses, Worms, Trojan horse

Cybersecurity

the practice of defending computers, servers, mobile devices, electronic systems, networks, and data from malicious attacks

Can be divided into a few common categories:


Network security,
Application security,
Information security
Operational security

Software Theft:
Steals software media
Intentionally erases programs
Illegally registers and/or activates a program
Illegally copies a program

an activation process into their programs to ensure the software is not installed on more computers than legally licensed

Information Theft:


occurs when someone steals personal or confidential information

A digital signature is an encrypted code that a person, website, or organization attaches to an electronic message

A digital certificate is a notice that guarantees a user or a website is legitimate

A website that uses encryption techniques to secure its data is known as a secure site

Hardware Theft, Vandalism, and Failure;


Hardware theft is an act of stealing digital equipment.


Hardware vandalism is the act of defacing or destroying digital equipment

Restricting Access


Biometric scanning
Passwords

Restricting Access


A passphrase is a private combination of words, often containing mixed capitalization and punctuation, associated with a username
A PIN (personal identification number), sometimes called a passcode, is a numeric password
A possessed object is any item that you must possess, or carry with you, in order to gain access to a computer
A biometric device authenticates a person’s identity by translating a personal characteristic

Ethics

Technology is moving so fast. It is hard for our legal system to keep up

Copyright:
Gives content creators the right to control the use and distribution of their work

Software piracy:
Unauthorized copying and distribution of software

Ethics and Society:


Green computing involves reducing electricity and environmental waste while using computers, mobile devices, and related technologies

Plagiarism:


Representing some other person’s work and ideas as your own without giving credit to the original person’s work and ideas

Computer Addition:


the computer consumes someone’s entire social life

Symptoms of users: Craves computer time, unable to stop computer activity and neglects family and friends

Drone:


Remote sensing
Commercial aerial surveillance
Oil, gas, and mineral exploration
Disaster relief

Advantages:
Drones are quite easy when you want to fly for surveillance purposes


Disadvantages.
Flying drones in public area is dangerous and can hurt anyone.

Most forums and comment areas on websites allow users to post messages anonymously


Some use this for abusive and threatening comments