Chapter 5: Keeping data safe and secure overview

Misuse of Data

Fraud

Data can be wrongly used to gain money from the person's personal details. This is fraud and it is very difficult to catch the criminals responsible. The details, such as bank details, can be used to buy things online (there are often fewer checks online). Usually by the time the victim realises it is too late.Chip and pin systems have reduced this type of fraud in shops, but some countries don't have this system, allowing this fraud to be committed from far away countries. This is a disadvantage of global ICT systems.

Identity Theft

Identity theft is not very common but is becoming more so. This involves using the personal details of another person to pretend to be them. This then means that they could use the goods and services as that person, while the actual person gets the bills. The victim may not notice until they receive large unexplained bills, or when they are prevented from travelling due to someone else using their identity.

Prevention of unauthorised access

Dont allow people to look at the screen of your device, you can make sure that the moniter is facing away from view or you can put a screen on moniters or windows to prevent people looking. Keep the computers in an area that only authorised people can access.Have some physical security. (e.g guards, locks on doors, bars on windows, not having the computers on the ground floor, fixing the computers to the desks or tethering them, and putting laptops in travel safes)

Have an unique identity for each person that logs onto your computer systems.Use passwords properly. (e.g have a long and complicated one)Use passwords or access codes on files and folders so that other users cannot access them.Encrypt your files so that if they are stolen they cannot be understood.Don't keep data on laptops while they are traveling, as this is when they are more at risk..Keep removable data safe, (e.g memory sticks) as if they are lost they could be in the hands of an unauthorised user.

Legal Hacking

Hacking can be legally done in either one of two ways: Someone being employed to try and break banking systems in order to test its security, and someone trying to retrieve a forgotten password and reset it. (You may have done this, therefore you have legally hacked)Most people however associate hacking with the illegal accessing of data, such as User IDs and passwords.

All definitions and key words for this chapter can be found here:

• Chapter 5: Keeping data safe and secure, keywords