Everyone Has The Right to Privacy Essay Example for Free

Everyone Has The Right to Privacy Essay Everyone has the right to privacy. This is the right to not have details about our lives to be held or circulated without our knowledge/consent. Data of personnel nature are collect every so often by organisations. For example: * Employers hold personnel records that include data on address, age, qualification, salary, sick leave and so on. * Stores hold detail on credit card payment, accounts history, items purchased; * Banks hold details on salary, income and withdrawals, direct debits to various organisations; * Insurance companies hold detail on property, cars, accidents, claims and health. This list is endless. Modern technology has made it possible to store vast quantities of data, so that it can be viewed from all over the world and so that it can be used to create a profile of an individual. Threats to information Systems Organisations can protect the integrity of data (by preventing inaccurate data entry, malicious or accidental alteration), and simple measures can be taken to protect the security of data form theft or destruction. Data Integrity This refers to the correctness of data. The data held on a computer may become incorrect, corrupt or of poor quality. This could happen at different stages of data processing. 1. Errors in the Input. Data may be keyed in wrongly. 2. Errors in Operating Procedure. An update program may be ran twice in error, thus the master file would be updated twice. 3. Program errors could lead to corruption of files. A new system may have errors in it which may not surface for some time, but they may be introduced during program maintenance. Standard Clerical procedures To protect against input and operating, procedures can be documented and followed for both input and output. Input * Data entry must be limited to authorized personnel only * In large volume data entry, data may be verified (keyed in twice), to guard against keying errors * Data control totals must be used wherever possible to verify the completeness and accuracy of the data, and to guard any copying/duplication or illegal entry. Output * All output must be inspected for reasonableness and any inconsistencies investigated. * Printed output containing sensitive information should be shredded after use. Write-protecting Disks Write-protecting disks and tapes can be used to avoid accidental overwrite on a disk or a tape. This can be effective against an operator error. Both disks and tapes have write-protecting mechanisms. User IDs and passwords Each user in an organisation who is permitted to the access of the company database is issued with a user id and a password. In most cases there are certain levels of access at which employees can access data. Some of the most common password rules are: * Passwords must be at least six characters * The password display must be automatically suppressed on the screen or printed output * Files containing passwords must be encrypted * All users must ensure that their password is kept confidential, not written down, not made up of easily guessed words and is changed at least every three months. Access rights Even authorized users don not normally have the right to see all the data held on a computer. e.g. A hospital receptionist may have the right to view and change some patient details, such as the name, address, and appointments. But they may not have access to the patients medical file. Access rights to data could be set to read only, read/write or no access. This way a user in a company can gain access to data which they are permitted to see and can only change data if they are authorised to do so. Likewise, the computer it self can be programmed to allow access to data from a particular terminal, and only at a certain time of day. The terminal in the administrators office may be the only terminal which has authorisation to change the structure of a database. An access directory can be made, which shows each users access rights. Securing against fraudulent use or malicious damage Organisations are often exposed due to: * The possibility of fraud; * The deliberate corruption of data by unhappy employees; * Theft of software or data which may fall into the hands of their competitors. Measures to oppose these risks are as follows. * Careful selection of employees * Immediate removal of employees who have been sacked or who hand in their resignation, and the cancellation of their passwords and authorisation. * Separation of duties. This is to ensure the involvement of two or more people to defraud the company. * Prevention of unauthorised access by employees and others to secure areas such as computer operations rooms, by the use of machine readable cards/badges or other types of locks. * The use off passwords to gain access to databases. * Educate staff to be aware of security breaches, and to be alert in preventing them or reporting them. * Appointing a security manager who can, with the use of special software, monitor all computer screens. The special software can also be used to record all logins at each terminal, time of logins and the number of times particular software is used. It will even log the security managers activities. Protection against Viruses Steps can be taken to minimize the risk of suffering damage from viruses: * Making sure that all software which is purchased is in sealed, tamper-proof packaging; * Not permitting floppy disks carrying software of and kind to be removed from or brought into the office; * Using ant-virus software to check all applications brought into the office. Biometric security measures Biometric methods of identifying an authorised user are fingerprint scanning, voice recognition and face recognition. One such system uses infra-red scanners to capture the unique pattern of blood vessels under the skin. This system can even differentiate between identical twins by comparing the scans. Communications Security Telecommunications systems are vulnerable to hackers who discover user ids and passwords and can gain access to a database from their own computer. One way to avoid this is to use call-back procedure. This is when a remote user logs on, the computer automatically calls that user back on a pre-arranged number to confirm the log on. Data encryption can also be used to scramble highly sensitive or confidential data before transmitting it. Disaster Planning No matter what precautions are taken, the possibility of data being destroyed is always great. A simple disk head crash can destroy a disk packing a fraction of a second. System designers must provide a reasonable backup facility that does not degrade the performance of the system and is not very expensive. The cost of lack of planning for a computer failure can be ruinous. Periodic Backups The most common way to ensure that data is not lost is to make regular copies of files into a safe place. This is called Periodic Backups. This scheme has several weaknesses: * All updates to a file since the last backup may be lost; * The systems may need to be shut down during backup operations; * Backups of large files can be time consuming; * When a failure occurs, recovery from the backup can be even more time consuming. A benefit is that files which may have been fragmented can be reorganised to occupy smaller amounts of same, resulting in faster access time. It is important to store copies of data in secure areas. One copy of data can be held in a fire-proof safe in a building and another off-site. Recovery procedures A contingency plan needs to be developed to allow rapid recovery of major disruptions. It is necessary to do the following in backup procedures: 1. Identify alternative compatible equipment and security facilities, or implement a service agreement which provides equipment when needed. 2. Have provision for alternative communication links.

Sonic Case Study :: essays research papers

Executive Summary Beginning with one restaurant, Sonic has become the largest drive-in chain in the United States. While they are smaller than their competitors, they are still leading in sales growth, customer loyalty and customer satisfaction. Sonic restaurants saturate the southern U.S. This gives them the opportunity to expand to other area. However, Sonic is reluctant due to the colder climates and their basis as a drive-in restaurant. Sonic should look at adding or combining capabilities to it’s restaurants to increase competitiveness and make it easier for them to expand into other areas without limiting themselves. Situational Analysis In 1953, Troy Smith, the founder of SONIC and World War II veteran, was living in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Troy dreamed of owning his own restaurant business. In fact, he had already tried twice. Troy first owned a small diner called the Cottage Cafà ©. The income he received was barely enough to make a living for himself and his family. Troy sold the Cottage Cafà © and bought a bigger restaurant. His next business, the Panful of Chicken, was so successful that he tried opening more. Unfortunately, fried chicken didn't do well in early 1950s Oklahoma and Troy closed his Panful of Chicken restaurant. Troy then owned a steak house that had a root beer stand attached. This root beer stand, called The Top Hat proved more profitable and eventually outlasted the steak house. While traveling to Louisiana, Troy saw some homemade intercom speakers in use at a local hamburger stand. He contacted the innovator in Louisiana and asked him to make an intercom for the Top Hat. He then hired some local electronics wizards to install the system. He then added a canopy for cars to park under and servers to deliver the food right to customers’ cars. During the first week after the intercom was installed, the Top Hat took in $1750. With his new partner, Charlie Pappe, four more Top Hats were opened. However, their lawyers informed them that the Top Hat name was copyrighted. They changed the name to Sonic to go along with the restaurant slogan of "Service With the Speed of SoundSM."1 In 1973, a group of ten principal franchise owners became the officers of the company. Shares were offered to each store owner. Because of the amount of stock offered, Sonic became a publicly traded company with 165 stores in the chain. Between 1973 and 1978, Sonic grew tremendously. 800 new stores were opened and a Sonic School that formally trained new managers was established.

Kiddie Land Gym Essay

Starting in March Kiddie Land would begin to promote a new a new product Super Gym Outdoor children’s Exercise center. The problem or the issue was the company has never shipped something this big, they had to come up with ideas of how to make a profit and how to reach it to the customers. Case Questions: 1. Advantages and disadvantages of purchasing a two-wheeled trailer for each store to use for delivery of the Super Gym †¢ Advantage Kiddie land could do its own deliveries saving the company some money †¢ Disadvantage Bumpers on the newest autos cannot accommodate trailer hitches. 2. Advantages and disadvantages of using local trucking companies deliver from the retail stores to the customer †¢ Advantage According to market research 85% of the customers drive less than 25 minutes to the store, so with the flat rate of $40 per shipment it would be cheaper to deliver for the company. †¢ Disadvantage Local companies that were found prefer deliveries twice a week but not daily. 3. Advantages and disadvantages of stocking Super Gym at the distribution center and having the truck make deliveries to the retail stores also make deliveries to customers †¢ Advantages Consolidator-Ship more than one delivery to the retailer or customer equals fewer trips. †¢ Disadvantages Burning too much fuel with double deliveries to distribution center then retailer stores Squeezing an 18 wheeler into a subdivision would not make any sense Knocking down a couple of mail boxes and Truck tracks in some homeowner lawns. 4. Advantages and Disadvantages of charging customers for home delivery if unable to carry †¢ Advantage Charging customers for delivery would absorb the cost of $40 for delivery per set. †¢ Disadvantage Chasing away customers With added minor insects to catch customers attention may cost the company later. 5. I would prefer using Local trucking company due to The company can avoid expensive shipping and handling expense to the customers and Avoid charging the customers for home deliveries. 6. With a purchase of our new product the Super Gym Center we will deliver to your doorstep for free 7. My Follow up on SUV would be †¢ Do they have enough room for the Super Gym? †¢ To maintain sales, how many SUVs would the company require? †¢ How many employees would be willing to part with their trucks for company business and for how much?

Free Online Public Schools for North Carolina Students

North Carolina offers resident students the opportunity to take online public school courses for free. Below is a list of no-cost online schools currently serving elementary and high school students in North Carolina. To qualify for this list, schools must meet the following qualifications—classes must be available completely online, they must offer services to state residents, and they must be funded by the government. North Carolina Virtual Public School North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS) was established by the state legislature to provide e-learning opportunities to students. â€Å"NCVPS shall be available at no cost to all students in North Carolina who are enrolled in North Carolina’s public schools, Department of Defense schools, and schools operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs,† the legislature said in creating the school. The schools website notes: NCVPS benefits students through expanded academic options in teacher-led, online courses aligned to the  North Carolina Common Core Standards  and the  North Carolina Essential Standards. Regardless of students’ geographic location or economic circumstances, they can enroll in quality online courses taught by highly qualified, North Carolina licensed teachers. NCVPS provides students online courses in many subject areas including mathematics, science, English language arts, social studies, arts, advanced placement, honors, and world languages. Other courses include test preparation, credit recovery, and (an) Occupational Course of Study (OCS). To take part in the virtual learning program, students enroll through their local public school. Grades are reported to their local school, which awards them credit. The North Carolina Virtual Public School has served over 175,000 middle and high school students since launching in the summer of 2007. North Carolina Virtual Academy North Carolina Virtual Academy (NCVA), an online public charter school authorized by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, offers North Carolina students in grades K-12 individual, online learning. A relatively new program, the virtual school says it offers a combination of individualized learning and flexible scheduling, delivered through: A K-12 curriculum that covers the core subject areas and electives.Experienced, highly qualified North Carolina-certified teachers, who are connected to students and parents by phone.Online planning and assessment tools and resources, and hands-on materials ranging from textbooks to telescopes, from rocks and soil to illustrated classic childrens stories.An active, supportive school community which organizes monthly activities where North Carolina parents, students, and staff socialize and share their experiences. ​​North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics Online NCSSM Online—the second-largest state virtual school in the United states—is a tuition-free two-year online program sponsored by the NC School of Science and Mathematics for junior and senior high school students. The program is not completely online: The school offers a supplemental program  that serves students who remain  enrolled at  their local schools. Highly qualified students can apply to either the online program or the onsite school, which offers the same curriculum free of charge to students who are accepted. The school, which  emphasizes  innovation, has also won awards for excellence.  In 2015, NCSSM won the Spaces for Innovation Challenge sponsored by the North Carolina State Universitys Institute for Emerging Issues.   North Carolina Connections Academy North Carolina Connections Academy is a tuition-free, public online school. NCCA gives students the flexibility to learn at home with an online curriculum that meets rigorous state education standards, the school says on its website. NCCA says it helps students through a learning program featuring: A challenging  curriculum  developed by leading education expertsInstruction from  state-certified teachers  experienced in online instructionSupport from trained  counselors, principals, and administrative staffCurriculum materials needed to participate in an online learning environment Tips for Choosing an Online Public School When choosing an online public school, look for an established program that is regionally accredited and has a track record of success. Be wary of new schools that are disorganized, are unaccredited, or have been the subject of public scrutiny. If you or your children are considering choosing a tuition-free  online high school, make sure you ask questions before deciding on a program, such as graduation rates, school and teacher accreditation, and what expenses you might incur, such as books and school supplies.