Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 2.4 Every.time.you.purchase.something.with.a.credit.or.debit.
card.another.electronic.record.is.created.
their. sales.. These. computers. are. now. tied. directly. into. the.
registers.that.take.your.order,.so.that.latte.has.been.recorded.
But.if.you,.like.so.many.others,.use.a.debit.card.or.a.pre-
paid. card. from. the. store. you. are. buying. from,. electronic.
records.are.absolutely.created.that.relate.directly.to.your.hab-
its. (Figure 2.4).. And. now,. with. new. applications. that. allow.
you.to.use.your.smart.phones.for.purchases,.you.can.directly.
create.computer.records.of.everything.you.buy..Believe.me.
when.I.tell.you.that.those.records.are.monitored.and.main-
tained. as. marketing. tools. and. might. well. be. requested. or.
required.as.producible.electronic.evidence.in.a.court.case.
So,.with.that.latte,.you.have.more.than.likely.tapped.into.
your.banking.system..The.inancial.infrastructure.that.we.all.
depend.on.for.storing,.maintaining,.regulating,.and.securing.
our.money,.is.again.entirely.dependent.on.computers.
Computers.track.the.low.of.funds,.regulate.interest.rates.
and.trading,.allow.you.access.to.your.banking.information,.and.
with.ATMs.give.you.access.to.cash.and.information.as.well.
Again,.smart.phones.are.now.being.used.with.new.appli-
cations.that.allow.you.to.transfer.funds,.pay.your.bills,.or.just.
monitor.your.accounts..Records.of.all.your.transactions.are.
stored.on.these.little.computers.and.once.again.can.provide.a.
very.detailed.look.at.your.actions.throughout.the.day.
