Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
additional risks already outlined for obtaining goods and services.
A company could theoretically make unauthorized purchases on
your card once it has your information, or it could sell your number
to someone else. If you do not know where the business is located,
or if the business closes, you have nowhere to go to seek repara
tions. Remedying your situation may be particularly difficult if the
business is located thousands of miles away in a different country
where laws, law enforcement, and customs may differ substantially
from what you know.
As an additional risk, the submission of your creditcard infor
mation over the Internet implies that the data are stored on a com
pany's machine—at least for a short time—and that machine is con
nected to the Internet. If that machine is the target of an
unauthorized intruder, then your number and many others might
become available. Because this is an obvious vulnerability, many
companies install specific protections, such as firewalls, to guard
against such unauthorized access. Although these security measures
may provide a reasonable level of protection, Internetconnected
computers cannot help but carry some ongoing level of risk. You
therefore make your creditcard numbers vulnerable when you shop
online, even if it is only to a minimal extent. Credit cards, however,
are not the only susceptible information you have when you work
on the Internet. Other personal information can likewise be com
promised.
the Internet?
Let's discuss what personal information can be accessed over the
Internet by first distinguishing between two types of data: public
files and private files. Public files include information you post on
the World Wide Web for use by anyone who might want it. For ex
ample, if you maintain a Web home page, any information on that
page is likely public—and you intend it to be. Similarly, you might
place public information in documents and files accessed by links
from your home page.
Other information may be available because people can happen
upon it if it is stored in public places. For example, as a convenience
