Syllabus Detail

  • Ethics in use of onine databases 12 GEN

What is Ethics?

 

Ethics in the use of Online Databases

  • We might take for granted the amount of work and ethics shown in the development of online databases
  • Without virtuous ethics, serious consequences could arise
  • Databases hold vast amounts of often sensitive information
  • If a developer or user with malicious intent was able to exploit the database, enormous privacy concerns would arise

 

How could information be leaked?

  • Online databases, if not developed securely, could be susceptible to SQL injections
  • SQL injections occur when carefully structured malicious data is entered in to a database
  • This data has the potential to release other unprotected data, or even allow the user access to the database
  • SQL injections can occur via web browser address bars, or via the submission of web forms
  • Attempts at these types of attacks are due to a user's poor ethics

 

What are the consequences?

  • Information could be leaked for various reasons
  • Identity theft is a common goal - wherein a user steals the identity of an unsuspecting victim based off of the information in the online database
  • Targeted marketing is also common - wherein private contact information (and even data such as a user's interests) are taken and used to target advertisements at particular users
  • In today's world, these methods are particularly scary due to the growing amount of personal information stored in online databases

 

Further Research

  • Check out NCSU's publication on Database Privacy here
  • Check out NCSU's guide to Database Privacy and other resources here

 

Worksheet and Practice (yet to be added)

Found an error or have an enhancement? Please let us know via this contact form