Introduction, Privacy and Security

“… U.S. customs officials at Los Angeles International Airport ran a routine check of passengers on a TWA flight from London and scored a hit on a Richard Lawrence Sklar, a fugitive wanted for his part in an Arizona real estate scam.... the fifty-eight-year-old passenger was strip-searched, moved from one holding-cell to another, and handcuffed to several violent offenders. The only problem was that the authorities had the wrong man.” ( Forrester and Morrison 1997)

The above example could have been you. It was made possible by the advances in computer and communications technology. It occurred due to inaccurate information being stored in a government database. With the rapid technological advancements of today, come a number of surprising and serious privacy and security concerns. Old and new moral issues related to basic human rights and an individual’s right to privacy are discussed in books like “Computer Ethics, Cautionary Tales and Ethical Dilemmas in Computing’ and monitored by watchdog groups like the Global Internet Liberty Campaign and Privacy International.

Computer technology, particularly telecommunications technology and the World Wide Web, have “compressed time and space.” They have made the world seem like a smaller place. At the click of a button, for little to no cost, you can communicate with an individual on the opposite side of the world. This gives rise to major issues with our online environment, especially the privacy and protection of personal information in a networked environment. Ray Panko gives a modern day description of the various types of attackers in our cyberspace.

Personal security and privacy issues are very broad based. They involve not only the individual, but have far greater reach, from your local bank branch to various government departments, and ultimately to the global community. In consideration of personal security and privacy, it behooves us to look at the affect of outside influences. These outside influences consist of governments, commercial operations, and individuals. The government perspective has been captured thru researching policy papers, plans, and statements. Plans such as the Minnesota Office of Technology master plan, offers a practical example of technology planning within a governing body. It considers, albeit briefly, the issues of privacy and security of personal data

“In terms of security, both citizens and businesses must absolutely believe that Electronic Government Services provide impenetrable protection from theft, fraud or malicious use of their information” ( Minnesota Office of Technology 2001)

By looking at government reports to regulatory agencies like the US Federal Trade Commission, responsible for enforcing consumer protection statutes and other statutory regulations, we can get insight into what our governments see and should see as privacy and security concerns. Canadian views are obtained from sources like the recently updated statute on Information and privacy from the Alberta Government, practical applications like the policy statement by the Consumers’ Association of Canada.

Views from government and watchdog organizations are not enough, companies like MobileInfo.com, specializing in wireless and mobile systems provide a commercial perspective on newer wireless technologies including hand held devices like PDA’s and cell phones. Probably of most concern to individuals would be security risks that affect them on a day-to-day basis. Exposures like unrestricted access to information stored on our PC, the ability of organizations to obtain personal information without our knowledge, or the possibility of outside agents corrupting our appliance (the computer) in one way or another. Jennifer Kyrin, an established corporate web page designer has uncovered a specific set of exposures relating to many World Wide Web search engines in particular. Have a concern about how secure your computer really is? You can visit sites like the Electronic Privacy Information Center and visit their online guide to practical privacy tools, or Privacy.net, more of a commercial advertisement, but still providing the service of showing you first hand what information is available to every single web site you visit. Gibson Research, grc.com is another site specializing in practical security.

I have rejected sources offering a more specialized focus like Tim Ely’s report on privacy in the workplace or Gregory Walter’s article, which focuses too broadly on privacy and security.

Most individuals entering cyberspace are or should be concerned about the protection of personal data and information.

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Last updated December 6, 2002 by R. Dyer