Rebecca Braito
Saving lots of data is a big risk for companies since theft of
personal information is very common. According to an article posted on CNN,
“Every week, thieves break into networks and steal data about people, often
tens of millions at a time” (CNN, Schneier). Our information that we thought
companies would protect and keep secret is being stolen and used to commit
fraud. The cost of saving data these days is so cheap and can be stored forever;
therefore companies don’t see a point in getting rid of data. Saving data is
extremely dangerous because many people want it.
The collection and storage of data in company databases can lead
companies to uncover extremely personal data about people. The article makes a
great point when discussing how cellphone companies and app providers save our
location. (CNN, Schneier) Though they do this to help us with applications such
as a GPS device in our smartphones, by saving our locations they can locate
where we are at all times. Therefore, they can figure out where we live, where
we work, and how we spend our time. People do not want this type of personal
information stolen.
Another great point the article makes is how detrimental a data
breach can be for a company. Failing to secure huge amounts of personal data
can be damaging because it will hurt the company’s profits, reputation, stock
prices, and cause public embarrassment for customers. It could also result in
expensive lawsuits and criminal charges for company.
Companies are also keeping a lot of data that isn’t necessary to
keep. For example, the article discusses a great example with the Ashley
Madison case. The Ashley Madison data breach was such a disaster because it
saved customers’ real names and credit card numbers. They could have processed
the credit card information, given the users access, and then deleted the
identifying information. But instead, they kept it and it resulted in a huge
data breach and caused many customers’ public embarrassment.
One point the article made that I felt they should have
elaborated on was how when a company with personal data goes bankrupt, it’s one
of the assets that gets sold. I feel that corporate executives should be held
personally liable for information that is sold or released and our personal
information should not be held accountable for a company’s downfall. Many
companies have disclosed that user’s personal information may be sold in the
event of bankruptcy. Data is typically a company’s most expensive asset. (NY
Times, Singer &Merrill)
Another point I felt
the article didn’t discuss enough was the fact that Communications data reveals
who our intimates are and what we talk about with them. Companies have records
of the very first emails we could have sent and have the ability to read
conversations we have had with people online. This is incredibly invasive.
Facebook keeps track of online conversations as a marketing technique to find
out what their users are interested in. (Think Progress, Williams)
Singer, Natasha,
and Merrill, Jeremy B. NY Times, “When
a Company Is Put Up for Sale, in Many Cases, Your Personal Data Is, Too”, 2015.
Article.
Williams, Lauren
C, thinkprogress. “Why There’s No
Such Thing As A Private Facebook Chat” 2014. Article.
Schneier, Bruce,
CNN Opinion. “Data is Toxic, so why
not throw it out? 2016. Article.
No comments:
Post a Comment