Thursday, February 03, 2005

Saq8: Privacy Issues

Privacy – according to Webster dictionary privacy is the condition of being private; seclusion; retirement. A matter that is or should be private. The state of being secret; avoidance of display or publicity; secrecy. A place of seclusion and retreat.

1. Explain the following types of privacy. Evaluate them by applying an ethical principle for each.

Data base privacy

Every company has their own data base files like my company in a Store Operation Department. We have employee data base file, payroll account database file, transactions data base including transient deliveries in and out, inventory database, payment database file, customers’ data base file, marketing files and planogram data base file. In planogram database file, we use to put our monthly plans or future plans of the store; marketing database files is all about marketing strategy, the brochures, the ads, the mobile we use, the design and others; customers data base files, of course its all about customer files; payment database file is all about the expenses and suppliers payment; inventory database is all about ABC analysis, the items which is moving and non moving, the automatic replenishment, the schedule of deliveries and others; payroll account of course is payment for the whole staff; and lastly is employee database files, the bibliography of the employee is here. That’s all about the database in the store. Mostly database file is hack by those nearly competitors to see what’s new in the organization, to see the plans of that company. If ever they saw it, they will use better plan to boost sales which is merely wrong and unprofessional. Every company must have their own strategy, plans and others even without looking unto the neighbors’ idea. It must be original. Companies’ data base file is very private, meaning strangers or hackers are not allowed to access that file. Even it’s not in computing, we don’t give any information regarding this particular employee or customer because it’s confidential. Ones a file is company owned, or owned by somebody else we must respect it, because it’s private property. See illustration, Lydia is a system administrator of Company A, selling furniture, house ware and computer peripherals. As a system administrator she knows all about the supplier who supplies their items and all of the customers of that company. Because of that she told her best friend to put up business like this, so that their own business will boost and will make a sale. Lydia gets all the files of the supplier and the customer of Company A. She contact the supplier and made some deals that whatever discount the Company A is having will be given to her or may be in the most cheapest way. Plus she told the customer of Company A to buy items in her own store, which the items can be bought in cheaper amount than the Company of A. Because of this, most customer of Company of A goes to her store. Oh money. The love of money is the fruit of evil. Lydia forgot that she is in the Company and must abide the rules and regulation of the company. The company found out that Lydia is the reason why they got very low turn over of sales in the company. That’s why they accused them for imprisonment. Illustration 2: Joseph is a computer genius and hired to be a computer programmer, but then his company is the 3rd top company in the whole America. His boss and the management want to be the top company in America. That’s why he told him to access the files of the 2 company to have an advance idea so that they will have better plans, and so they can achieve the best, to be the number 1 company in America. Because of this, as per instruction of his boss he hack the data base files of their competitors which is against the law in computing. Truly the act of Joseph is unethical and punishable by law. It is morally wrong under all circumstances. I just think that I must sacrifice my work so that I will not violate the law in the land.

E-mail Privacy

I agree that the only sender (Me) and the intended recipient (You), and no body else, should read what I write in my email. That’s e-mail privacy. If ever my email is access and read by the system administrator who has access in my account, then, it is very unethical. My question is that why we have our own email address if all can access that particular email address? Right! What is the important of user id and password if our emails are readable to any body else? What is the use of password, if all can access? It’s useless; I just think that we don’t need password and user Id if there’s no e-mail privacy, because we have freedom to read even it’s not yours. My real opinion is that, I’m very mad to those people who read my email and use my email address without informing me. There must be e-mail privacy. If it is private, then it must be a private property. Here in the Philippines, if one is talking you must listen and wait for your turn to talk, so that you will not be unethical. If someone is in your house or a visitor in your house, and then you pass by, you will say excuse me to be ethical, what more if you and I snoop around in other people files, then it is very unethical. They said that because of curiosity they used to snoop around in other people files, but the right word for me is not curiosity but “Pakialamero”. You and I must not access emails of others. Just mind your own business.

Confirmed Email Privacy Hole at Orkut
For instance, whenever a message is send to anyone in the system that is forwarded by email, in the message headers it will read:
From: "Christopher Allen"
Reply-To: "Christopher Allen" ;
When someone reads the message in their email software, the "From:" line will be Christopher name but with the fake email address of -- however, when you reply to it, it will use the real email address. This appears to happen whether or not you have the privacy settings to reveal the email address.
The second is that, sometimes we the users forgot to sign out with the system or the internet itself. Mostly, if we just rent a PC through Computer CafĂ© we forgot to log out, that’s why it’s too easy for them to access our email and sometimes used our e-mail address for their own benefit. Truly e-mail is private, if we access one’s email, then it is very unethical. We must respect the privacy of every user. If ever that other user forgot to log out, just close it and don’t try to read it because it’s against the reputation of others.

Privacy on the web

Really we can’t expect privacy in the web. Yes, we can browse the web freely, but then because of too much freedom in the web we violate it. Most web site collects information, how the information is used and what they do to protect any information they gathered. Washburn University respects the privacy of all Web site visitors to the extent permitted by law. There is a Web Privacy statement intended to inform the users of the ways in which this Web site collects information, how the information is used and what they do to protect any information the user choose to provide Washburn University.

Your rights

Yes, we have the rights under the Privacy Act and the Freedom of Information Act.
Privacy Act
Freedom of Information Act http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/5/552.html>
There are four types of information that may be collected during your visit in a site: network traffic information, Web server statistic logs, cookies, and information voluntarily provided by the user.

Network Traffic

In the course of ensuring network security and consistent service for all users, the University may use software programs to do such things as:
• Analyze network traffic
• Identify unauthorized access
• Detect computer viruses and other software that might damage University
computers or the network
• Monitor and maintain the performance of the University network
In the course of such monitoring, these programs may detect such information as e-mail headers, addresses from network packets and other information. Information from these activities is used solely for the purpose of maintaining the security and performance of the University's networks and computer systems. Personally identifiable information from these activities is not released to external parties unless required by law.
Web Server Logs, the University Web server collects and stores information from Web site visitors to monitor Web site performance and to improve service. This information includes the following:
• Page visited
• Date and time of the visit
• Domain name or IP address of the referring site
• Domain name and IP address from which the access occurred
• Version of browser used and the capabilities of the browser
• Search terms entered into our search engine
The University makes no attempt to identify individual visitors from this information: any personally identifiable information is not released to external parties unless required by law.

Cookies

Cookies are small bits of data stored on your hard drive on behalf of a Web site and returned to the Web site on request. This site may use cookies for two purposes: to carry data about your current session at the site from one Web page to the next, and to identify you to the site between visits. If you prefer not to receive cookies, you may turn them off in your browser, or may set your browser to ask you before accepting a new cookie. Some pages may not function properly if the cookies are turned off. Unless otherwise notified on this site, they will not store data, other than for these two purposes, in cookies. Cookies remain on your computer. University does not forward them to any external parties. Unless otherwise notified on this site, they do not use cookies to track your movement among different Web sites and do not exchange cookies with other entities.
All website are private, we used to browse the web to get idea and information. Website helps us in many ways in the office, in school and others. If ever we don’t like the settings, the information posted in their web, we can post comments. But then we must respect their privacy and that is not to do bad things and published slandering idea or comments in their web. The owner of the website respects their visitor, and so the website visitor must respect also the website he/she is visiting. What ever comments and suggestion that will be posted in the website he/she visiting is a great help for improvement.

2. Think of an act, other than those already discussed in this module that would constitute a violation of privacy in computing. Explain.

Privacy of Intellectual Property or Software Privacy - rights of computer programmers, ones a program has been designed by someone else; we the users must not infringe or copy it nor sell it, neither run the applications, as if were the owner of that program. Just keep in mind, that it’s not yours, so don’t do bad things. We must respect the owner, if he/she allowed us to use this program then it’s good, but if not, just stop it and mind your own business. If you want to be respected, then respect the rights of the others. Always foot yourself on other shoes. Don’t be so ridiculous and don’t be greedy. Greediness is not from God, it’s from the devil. So, if it is private then it must be private, period. Have pity to the owner of the software. If we are going to infringe it, we are just like those criminals who killed innocent people, but in different way. So no to infringement of Intellectual property, it must be a private property.

Communication Privacy (Chat room or Newsgroup)
Mostly unknown users go to the Newsgroup or chat room to intrude, and not just to intrude but then to flame. Flame people and disrespect the opinion in the Newsgroup, bulletin boards and chat room. Most of the time the information is illegal, inaccurate and slanderous resulting miss communication and disrespect. In most cases when one group agreed to chat, to talk to a serious subject, one will appear and join the group for discussion which violates the communication of privacy of others.