Tag Archives: databases
UK Data Analysts Demand Improvements to Privacy and Security Standards
This year’s Fine Balance conference was quite an exciting event, as representatives as different as Oracle, a computing company, and the NHS sought to figure out how they could protect people’s privacy in such a connected society.
The even has been a staple for a long time. There have been years that it focused on overlarge government databases and breaches of those databases, but this year the debate was all on the private sector. There was discussion about the government, but mainly to say that it did not have enough power. Privacy advocates applauded the decision of the government earlier this year to get rid of the identity card scheme and the planned sharepoint database, cut also said that the new powers that the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has are not enough.
Especially after the fiasco earlier this year in which Google allegedly accidentally collected the public wifi signals of millions of people, and as more and more vulnerabilities are allowing malicious parties to steal information right off of private computers the impetus was on the technology companies to better protect their customers. Many at the conference called for a lawsuit against Google over the data theft and for the ICO to take a much tougher stand against companies that make this sort of egregious error.
Some also said that it should be consumers who learn how to protect their own data. Many consumers, for example, do not even know about the risks of identity theft online and fill out forms whenever it is asked of them. These people argued that the onus for data protection was on the people, and that it was the ICO’s job to ensure that the people were properly educated about the risks of giving out information.
A final argument was that the UK just simply has not gotten into the privacy debate enough, and that there needs to be a call for more debate. The German constitution, for example, was framed with privacy in mind. In contrast, the UK has not even properly adopted article 22 of the Human Rights Act, declaring privacy to be a civil liberty. The current law in the UK says that financial damage must be proven before a privacy-related complaint can be heard in court. Experts say that it is this sort of attitude that makes privacy such a problem in the UK. A coordinated government response is needed to ensure that citizens can be protected as privacy becomes an ever-larger problem.
UK Data Analysts Demand Improvements to Privacy and Security Standards
This year’s Fine Balance conference was quite an exciting event, as representatives as different as Oracle, a computing company, and the NHS sought to figure out how they could protect people’s privacy in such a connected society.
The even has been a staple for a long time. There have been years that it focused on overlarge government databases and breaches of those databases, but this year the debate was all on the private sector. There was discussion about the government, but mainly to say that it did not have enough power. Privacy advocates applauded the decision of the government earlier this year to get rid of the identity card scheme and the planned sharepoint database, cut also said that the new powers that the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has are not enough.
Especially after the fiasco earlier this year in which Google allegedly accidentally collected the public wifi signals of millions of people, and as more and more vulnerabilities are allowing malicious parties to steal information right off of private computers the impetus was on the technology companies to better protect their customers. Many at the conference called for a lawsuit against Google over the data theft and for the ICO to take a much tougher stand against companies that make this sort of egregious error.
Some also said that it should be consumers who learn how to protect their own data. Many consumers, for example, do not even know about the risks of identity theft online and fill out forms whenever it is asked of them. These people argued that the onus for data protection was on the people, and that it was the ICO’s job to ensure that the people were properly educated about the risks of giving out information.
A final argument was that the UK just simply has not gotten into the privacy debate enough, and that there needs to be a call for more debate. The German constitution, for example, was framed with privacy in mind. In contrast, the UK has not even properly adopted article 22 of the Human Rights Act, declaring privacy to be a civil liberty. The current law in the UK says that financial damage must be proven before a privacy-related complaint can be heard in court. Experts say that it is this sort of attitude that makes privacy such a problem in the UK. A coordinated government response is needed to ensure that citizens can be protected as privacy becomes an ever-larger problem.
Introduction to Database Processing and Information
Database processing is one of the most important courses in the information systems curriculum. There are several reasons for this. First, databases can store large volumes of corporate operational data. Such databases become the heart of many transaction processing applications, such as order entry, inventory control, and general ledger accounting. Due to the advantages of database systems over file processing systems, many companies have converted (or are converting) their older file processing systems to database systems. Second, databases can be queried on an ad hoc basis, making them the foundation for decision-support systems (DSS). Data stored in a database can be readily accessed and processed. Consequently, users can get answers to their questions much faster if the data is stored in a database than they would if it were stored in files. Further, database query languages allow users to be more self-sufficient. Users often obtain answers to their questions without the assistance of an information systems professional. Third, databases can be implemented on computers of all sizes, making them feasible for almost any business or organization. Thus, the likelihood that you will employ database processing during your information systems or business career is almost certain. But perhaps the most fundamental reason for studying database technology is that it facilitates the production of information.
Information
The word information comes from the Latin word informare, which means “to build form” or “to give structure.” Information systems build structures from data by processing it to reveal patterns, trends, and tendencies. These patterns, trends, and so forth are the information that users need in order to perform their jobs. If we did not derive information from the huge volumes of facts we store in our computers (the data), then users would be overwhelmed with details, floundering about to find the knowledge they need. They would drown in a sea of facts. People strive to make order in their world. Think about the first time you endured the add/drop process during class registration (or the first time you went to an airport, or the first time you did anything new). If your college is like most, the room was large, hot, noisy, and chaotic. People were moving all around you and you didn’t know quite what to do. Probably your anxiety level was high as you tried to make any meaning out of the scene before you. Unconsciously, you gathered data through sight and sound, related this data to prior knowledge (such as knowing how people line up and wait their turns or take numbers and wait to be called), compared this new data to your goal (dropping a course, for example), and decided on a course of action (to get into the line marked “DROP COURSE”). The key element in this scenario is the processing of your perceptions. As you gathered data by examining the room, you built patterns and structures in your mind and tried to relate them to structures you already had. You looked for clues in people’s behavior. You might have asked somebody for help. If so, your plea was a request for information. You wanted someone who had already processed the scene and built patterns and structures to tell you what they were. As you gained information about the add/drop process, your uncertainty decreased. When you entered the room, you did not even know in which direction to turn. Once you knew which line to join, you became more sure of yourself. Information reduced your uncertainty. Computer systems provide a similar function for users. One of the main reasons for information systems is to reduce the user’s uncertainty.