Verified Document

Privacy And Legal Issues To Consider For A Database System Term Paper

Private and Legal Issues in Database Privacy and legal issues to consider for a database system

An essential component in the success of managing database is that management should be concerned with ethical and legal issues associated with both the creation and use of those data in the databases. The use of the database technology provides access to all kind of information about customers, employees, and subjects. However, it has often become easier for people to obtain data about a subject with the click of a mouse. As a result, most of the security measures that have been implemented to protect confidential data are worthless. In some companies, getting access to a database has become easier when employees who want or need to make changes to their own personal file, such as adding a dependent or listing a new phone number or address. Some other employees, however, argue that this type of information should not be readily available and feel their private lives are not being protected sufficiently (Adams, 1992). According to some employees one of the concerns remain about the kinds of data that are stored in the databases.

For example, should a company be able to access medical, alcoholic, and private information of its employees. There are several steps that IT department can take to protect the privacy of data from databases: It can instruct all users how to securely use and handle the data, and software, teach employees to the effectiveness of the passwords, ensure the importance of backup copies, data files, and printouts as it could contain private data, ensure that all software and mainframe applications include an audit trail to record the history of changes made in the data, and make use of edit controls (such as passwords) to limit employees' access to data files and data fields. It is a prime concern for IT department to decide who gets access to what kinds of data (Pasqualetto, 1994). The laws regarding access to personnel...

As Hartstein (1992) argues that about 18 states in the U.S. have passed legislation pertaining to access of personnel records. However, these data are accessed for the purposes of deciding employee's qualifications for promotion, termination, or disciplinary action. Also, there are several issues about the use of the incorrect information about an individual. Individuals should have access to information about themselves, and law allows an employee to challenge alleged incorrect information in the file. With the rise of the Internet, the security, privacy and ethical issues have become much more prominent. In complex cases, storage on a remote computer, accessible to all parties from anywhere, simplifies the use of accessing private data from a wireless modem. The increasing use of the Internet makes it easier for individuals to scan and tracks of credit cards data trail consisting of purchase amount, purchase type, date, and time. Data are collected when one pays through the checks. The use of supermarket discount cards creates a comprehensive database of everything one buys. One leaves a significant data trail when one surfs the Internet and visit websites. When one subscribes to a magazine, sign up for a book or music club, join a professional association, fill out a warranty card, give money to charities, donate to a political candidate, invest in mutual funds, when one makes and makes a telephone call, all of these transactions, one leaves a data trail that is stored in a computer. Although the contents all of these many databases are yet not combined, but we are rapidly heading that direction. Database developers are attempting to create a profiling system that detects traveler anomalies in order to prevent terrorists from boarding.
The ethical and privacy issues are stakes because…

Sources used in this document:
References

Adams, L.E.: February 1992, 'Securing Your HRIS in a Microcomputer Environment', HR Magazine, 56-61.

DeGeorge, R.T.: 1986, Business Ethics (2nd ed.) (Macmillan Publishing Company, New York).

Moulton, R.T.: 1986, Computer Security Handbook: Strategies and Techniques for Preventing Data Loss or Theft (Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ).
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Database System Can Be Defined
Words: 998 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

These laws also emphasize that obtaining such personal information and how it will be used should be made with the individual's knowledge and consent. Moreover, individuals also have the additional rights of viewing, correcting, and deleting the information pertaining to them. But do we really have access to all information that is being taken from us? We can never tell and we might end waking up one day being

Legal Issues Should Heimusic Be Thinking About
Words: 3011 Length: 8 Document Type: Case Study

legal issues should Heimusic be thinking about? Choice of Laws Heimusic is a UK-based website, however it does not limit the use of its website to only UK citizens. The Heimusic website can be accessed by anyone in the world through the Internet and therefore the company may be subject to the rules and laws of many different countries. Heimusic should consider the legal implications of being subject to numerous jurisdictions

Ethical and Legal Issues Involved in E-Commerce
Words: 4942 Length: 15 Document Type: Term Paper

Ethical and Legal Issues in Ecommerce A Concise Definition of ecommerce Motivation for E-Commerce Ethical and Legal Issues in E-Commerce Enforcement of Legal Directives and Contracts Collecting and Securing Consumer Information Lack of Uniform Laws Copyright and Patent Laws Violation Taxation Other Issues: In Brief Privacy and Security 'Extinction' of Some Small Businesses Electronic Deception Language Issues Declaration During the last one decade, the internet has experienced unprecedented growth. Thanks to this increase in online activity, consumers and businesses from all over the world are

Security Issues of Online Communities
Words: 15576 Length: 60 Document Type: Term Paper

This researcher rejects the existence of online communities because computer mediated group discussions cannot possibly meet this definition. Weinreich's view is that anyone with even a basic knowledge of sociology understands that information exchange in no way constitutes a community. For a cyber-place with an associated computer mediated group to be labeled as a virtual settlement it is necessary for it to meet a minimum set of conditions. These are:

Employee Privacy Torts
Words: 7119 Length: 25 Document Type: Research Paper

Employee Privacy Torts Issues relating to employee privacy have been at the forefront of businesses for many years. This has been fuelled by the dynamic workplace which changes constantly and also by employees and employers being more litigation-conscious. Technology has also spurred on employee privacy issues with e-mail and the internet being related to heightened concerns about vulnerability of employers to litigation. Many employers have thus exacerbated their concerns relating to

Drones Unmanned Aerial Systems Uavs
Words: 12745 Length: 40 Document Type: Thesis

This category can further be divided into six subgroups namely; short-range, medium range, long-range, close range, endurance, Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). The long-range UAVs are technologically more advanced as they use satellites in order to overcome the communication problem between the UAVs and the ground stations. This communication problem is generally caused by the curvature of the earth. The medium, short and close range

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now