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