GOF 2.5 Protecting Privacy

GOF 2.5 Sarah Baase explained privacy technologies and how companies and "techies" are trying to help the user protect him or herself from leaking information. The market responds to consumer desire for privacy by producing tools that individuals and organizations can use to protect their personal information. Companies like Netscape and Microsoft have created Web browsers that have options to alert the user when a Web site is about to store a cookie. Other companies have created a browser that can alert the user if he or she attempts to visit a site whose policies do not meet the user's privacy preferences. Web-site operators pay thousands and sometimes millions, of dollars that do privacy audits. Privacy auditors search for leaks, and review the companies privacy policy plus its compliance with the policy. How much does this actually help to protect our privacy?

GOF 2.4 More Privacy Risks

GOF 2.4 Sarah Baase stresses the issue of a national identification system. The potential national ID card would contain a smart-card memory that can retain information such as the person's name, photo, Social Security number, other identifying information, and health, tax, financial, citizenship, employment, or other data. The ID system could be used to help catch criminals and terrorists. Personal health and medical information is then at risk, because the smart cards could then provide unwanted guests with this personal medical information. Pharmacists are worried that they might not be able to give prescription medicines to family members or friends. Everyone's information would then be stored on databases. What if that database has to be hacked into or had a virus that deleted important information?

GOF 2.31and 2.3.3 Consumer Information

In the two sections of chapter two, Sarah Baase explains how the individual's information can leak out and cause more ads that invade privacy. Every time one fills out a warranty or questionnaire, the information on that paper or website is stored in huge database. Businesses then use powerful hardware to analyze the consumer data. This is process called data mining, the searching of masses of data to find new information or knowledge. The data mining information is then used to send the consumer products that they are more likely to buy. An example of this is a case of a woman who had a miscarriage and continued to receive mailings about baby products. Baase states, "But it is unreasonable to blame marketers or computerized mailing lists if the woman gave consent to the distribution of her name." Do you think it is unreasonable?

2.2 Big Brother Is Watching You

In chapter 2.2 Sarah Baase explains how government agencies are invading our privacy by not obeying the Forth Amendment. Both the IRS and the FBI have access to huge databases filled with tons of personal information. Did you know every toll you pay collects personal information about you, like social security number, license plate; because of our advance technology the government can even tell how fast the driver was going through the toll. Also, government agencies are able to buy personal information from private information service companies; the information would be illegal for them to collect. In 2001, the USA PATRIOT Act lets the government collect information from financial institutions on any transactions that differ from a customer's usual patterns; but that’s not all they can check. New technologies now allow video surveillance to watch out every move, without us being told. As the Supreme Court of Canada states, "privacy is annihilated." Does the government have the right to search your personal information for no reason? How can this be stopped?

From Virtual Communities to Smart Mobs

Lane Jennings article "From Virtual Communities to Smart Mobs" stated the good the bad and the ugly about information sharing. One example of the good occurred on September 11, 2001, when passengers aboard United Flight 93 learned about the other hijackings and was able to take action. Other types of information sharing including P2P may seem like the all winning approach to problem solving, but in reality P2P has created easier ways for hackers to store their files on your computer. How would you feel if a hacker decided to leave his pornography and virus files on your computer?

GOF Chapter 7 Computer Crime

In this chapter, Sarah Baase explains the term hacking. In the early days of computer programming a hacker was a creative programmer who wrote clever programs. As time went on the word hacking took on a totally different meaning; a quote from Baase "Breaking into computers on which the hacker does not have authorized access." Hacking has created huge problems for every organization, company, and individual that has access to the internet. These individuals that are labeled "hackers" range from any age, and can break into and steal millions of dollars as well as confidential military information. How can the ordinary person protect themselves from being subjected to a hacker? What actions must be taken?