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Misuse of Information

The document discusses various ways that technology can be misused, including privacy violations, surveillance, propaganda, and inaccurate information. It also discusses computer crimes like software piracy, fraud, and identity theft. Finally, it outlines measures to secure data and maintain integrity, including passwords, encryption, firewalls, backups, and proprietary software.

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9 views

Misuse of Information

The document discusses various ways that technology can be misused, including privacy violations, surveillance, propaganda, and inaccurate information. It also discusses computer crimes like software piracy, fraud, and identity theft. Finally, it outlines measures to secure data and maintain integrity, including passwords, encryption, firewalls, backups, and proprietary software.

Uploaded by

CIARA DOUGLAS
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Data Communication

How Information Can Be Misused


Today technology is used to produce and share information on anything to everything. However
some people misuse technology for unpleasant purposes. Some of these misuses are illegal,
while others are acceptable.

Some of the ways technology is misused are as follows:


Violation of Privacy
Privacy is the right of each of us to keep information about ourselves from other people.
However some people don’t get the permission to use your information and that causes a
violation of your personal data. E.g. Doctor’s record.

Surveillance
This is where you can listen to conversation and watch people without them knowing. Such as
using hidden cameras and microphones. Sometimes surveillance has its advantages such as when
a police need to capture a criminal, extra security of a building or to warn potential intruders that
they are being watched.

Electronic Eavesdropping
This is when you send a letter by email and it is tampered with, before it reaches the destination.
All email and text messages you send pass through several computer systems before they reach
the recipient. Computer programs can be used to search messages for keywords, or names of
specific people.

Propaganda
This is information that is designed to encourage you to think in a particular way and to hold a
particular opinion. It may include false information or it may give an unbalanced version of
events. Information may be incorrect for a number of reasons: mistake, misunderstood or
deliberate trying to mislead you.

Inaccurate Information
Data has integrity if it is accurate and up to date. However, sometimes information still is
inaccurate because of:
1. a mistake when data is collected
2. a mistake when they are entering data on the computer system.
3. Deliberate altering of data after it was first entered.
Data that is inaccurate can sometimes have consequences that can be quite trivial.

Computer Crimes
Industrial Espionage
Espionage refers to spies who work for one country while trying to find the national secrets of
another country. Industrial espionage is a similar concept but applied to businesses.

Software Piracy
This refers to the illegal copying and selling of software. You should be aware of ‘crack’
websites that offer free or cheap downloads of proprietary software. These security codes on a
software would have been altered illegally to avoid detection. These downloads are commonly
used as a way of distributing viruses and spy software.
Computer Fraud
A fraud is a crime in which someone deliberately deceives someone else in order to gain money,
goods or some other advantage. Employees may be tempted to alter data, to transfer money, to
create fictional accounts or to use information to blackmail others. Therefore organisations have
a code of conduct for employees to adhere to them.
Credit Card Fraud
When customers use their credit card to purchase items over the Internet, sometimes
unscrupulous persons get a hand on the card numbers and use it for their pleasure.
Identity Theft
This is a form of fraud in which the criminal pretends to be someone else. Criminals sometimes
used identity theft for:
- Money to an account
- Buy goods and services
- To get benefits of medical and other insurances
- Avoid being arrested
- To obtain travel visas

Measures To Secure Data and Maintain Data Integrity


Data security – this covers all the methods that can be used to keep data safe and accurate.
Data integrity – this is achieved when all the data is accurate and up to date.
Measures that can secure and maintain data can be in the form of Software restrictions or
physical access restrictions.

Software Restrictions
Passwords
This is a code used to protect another user from getting into their file or computer system.

Encryption
This is when data is converted into a secret code. Encrypted data is decrypted when it is
converted back to ordinary text.

Virus protection
These are software that helps to protect your computer from viruses. This checks a list of viruses
to identify that are on emails or viruses that may be found on your system.

Firewalls
These are devices controlled by software programs that check all the data communications that
come into and go out of the network. It will block any communication that does not match its
rules. The rules can be set to give the level of protection that is needed for the network.

Physical Restriction

Preventing people from getting into buildings


There are several electronic door entry systems that are used in preventing persons into
buildings. These are as follows:

Keypad- This is where you enter a code on a keypad. It is wise to change this code regularly for
protection.

ID card- Swiping card using a swipe machine. This reads information held on a magnetic strip.

Smart card – Sometimes used as ID cards instead of swipe cards.


Biometric system – Measures one or more of your physical attributes such as fingerprints, face
and iris patterns, in order to check your identity.

Keeping important data away from harm


Storage media must be protected from:
Heat and fire, oil and dust, magnetic fields, or water and humidity, etc. Therefore storage media
should be kept in a clean environment at room temperature. This will last longer than exposure to
heat, dirt and humidity. Special fireproof and waterproof safes are sold precisely for the purpose
of protecting media from fire and water.

Recovery When Things Go Wrong

Backups – This is a copy of a file that can be used if the original file is damaged or not
available. Two main types of back up are full backup or incremental backup. Backup files should
be stored on a medium that makes fast copies and can be stored in a secure place away from the
original.

Disaster recovery – This is a strategy to get back to normal as soon as possible if disaster does
strike.

Archives- This is old information or files. They are normally copied to a new storage medium
and put away safely. When this is done, they can be removed from the main computer system.

Proprietary Software- This is software that is owned by a commercial company and available
for anyone to buy and use under license. Because of this, companies can build additional security
into the program.

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