Topic 3 – Security and Privacy

It seems like everyday in the news i read or hear about another scam taking place online, So how can you increase your chance of not getting scammed?

• Use passwords that are hard to guess avoid nicknames, important dates and pets names as these can be easily picked, try using a password with a combination of words letters and symbols as these all increase the strength of the password
• Scam emails are common, If it sounds to good to be true - it more than likely is, don't clink links or send information.
• Never Ever give out your bank details to a site that isn't trustworthy and secure.
• its not just computers we need to think about, these days everyone uses smart phones, tools such as pass code locks on phones are important as we now store more personal information on mobile phones then ever before. 

Question One.

See if you can find an example of a privacy breach that was reported in the Australian or international news in the last 6 months. What were the consequences? i.e. legal, political, financial, personal etc. What action was taken in response to the privacy breach?

On the 15th of March 2013 Google was fined $7million for a privacy breach that saw them using a snoopy software program that enabled them to intercept emails, passwords and other sensitive information such as bank details, insurance policies etc that were sent several years ago over unprotected wireless networks in neighborhoods across the world. 

The software was designed to track where people were using wireless connections for googles research purposes but instead traced and share peoples personal data with others and on site accidentally.

Although the information was not intentionally leaked it didn't stop people asking what where they collecting data like that and storing it for in the first place. Google was forced to destroy all information it gathered in the breach and pay the fine.

it makes me wonder how a organisation with the slogan "Don't Be Evil" got its self caught up in such a scandal.

Further information can be found in this article

What AmI technologies are identified in the case?

• AMI collects data about individuals from hundreds of sources and then sells the aggregated data back to many of those sources (insurance companies, retail chains, media conglomerates,credit-reporting agencies, mobile phone companies, law enforcement agencies, customs and immigration authorities, and intelligence agencies). 
• They have managed to side step legislation and constraints as they merge with other companies.
  
  

What drives DMC’s officers to take the actions they took?

• The biggest driver was money, there clients were willing to pay big money for the information

DMC is the clear market leader in the aggregation of AmI data. Are there any comparisons you can make to technology companies today?

• i searched the web but couldn't find anything relevant to other companies doing this although i do believe there are others doing this i just don't know who

How realistic is the description of governments using the technology and prohibiting immigration from states with no AmI data aggregation information?

• It's called personal information for a reason its personal, if people don't want this information shared then it shouldn't be shared.

List some of the ‘unintended consequences’ described in the case.

• They obviously didn't intend on the public finding out what was going on.
• That the information would be stolen
• They would be taken to court