P3

Backups:

Backing up data is vitally important as technology can fail from time to time, but the biggest risk is having no alternative when it does. This is easily done though, by saving documents on different servers/physical memory technology. This means that information is even protected from natural accidents/disasters such as floods, storms or fires, the later being more likely with a server. Backing up data is just storing it in a different way which makes it easier to recover. A business is likely to have multiple backups as not having one could have a detrimental effect of the life of the business should their technology fail.

Health and Safety:

Making sure employees have the chance to be as healthy as possible at work should be somewhere near the top of a business priorities as the employees of a business are their most valuable asset. Work stations are an easy way to optimise the health and wellbeing of an employee, this can be done by making sure the workers take regular breaks from looking at the screen and have a walk around to get the blood flowing to the bottom on their body, this will also loosen up muscles used to position themselves for a period of time. Buying specialist ergonomic equipment like keyboards, mice and desks can make the difference and avoid the workers getting repetitive strain injuries.

Organisational Policies and Security of Information:

These are put in place to assure the business that the information supplied to employees is used correctly as information can get into the wrong hands as these policies should outline who is authorised to see the information and who is not. Information falling into the wrong hands could end up with competitors or customers who do not like being talked about as money or numbers, who might then revolt and not use you business. Information should be kept secure at all times and only those authorised should have access. Businesses can employ schemes that have access control so only people at a certain stage in the hierarchy of a business can have access to classified files.

Business Contingency Plan:

This relates heavily to backing up information as the business needs to have a plan be when something goes wrong with technology. These systems are integral to modern day businesses so can't really be avoided, which can be a problem when they fail, which is why they must have a contingency plan for employees to work from when the system fails. This plan usually has the restart of the system at the top of it's priorities so everything can resume to normal as fast as possible.


The Data Protection Act 1998:

Organisations are allowed to use personal information on clients in some ways but there are limits to what they can do with it, these criteria are outlined by the Data Protection Act. This act ensure that information is used lawfully and fairly, is a limited and adequate manner which means data is only kept for as long as necessary. It has even stronger precautions for 'sensitive information' such as ethnic background, political options, religious beliefs, health, sexual health and criminal records. As well as protecting data, the Data Protection Act also gives you the right to see what information an organisation has about you. There are however some cases where an organisation can withhold information, these include national security and armed forces information, judicial or ministerial information (court dates), information involving crime and tax information. Some organisations will charge for providing the information but these charges are normally no more than £10.

The Computer Misuse Act 1990:

Before 1990, there were no laws in place to combat hacking problems when is was clearly worse than crimes that were already legislated against. The Computer Misuse Act protects against access to unauthorised computer material with intent to commit or facilitate a crime or modification of computer material as well as making anything to carry out a computer misuse offence.  These offences now have relevant punishments, in the same order, accessing computer material warrants a maximum six month in prison and/or a reasonable fine. If accessing this material to commit or facilitate a crime as well as modifying computer material will get you a maximum five years in jail and a large fine. And making material to facilitate hacking you can again receive up to five years imprisonment but it will be an unlimited fine. These laws would definitely deter any potential hackers but since these laws have been in place, they haven't really been enforced to their full potential as hackers are sometimes untraceable and don't get punished because hacking on a small scale isn't seen as a bad crime.

The Freedom of Information Act 2000:

In short the freedom of information act allows the public to access information that is being held by authorities. It does this by making this public authorities publish information about what they are doing as well as allowing members of the public randomly request information from these large authorities. Scotland didn't embrace the act until 2002 and have their own Scottish law. Whilst this act involves authorities like the NHS and state schools but does not cover other organisations that receive money from the public such as charities and companies from the private sector that put on public functions. The public can request letters, computer files, sound or video recordings, documents and photographs. This act doesn't allow the public to see information about individuals, but the data protection act does, which I've previously mentioned.

The Copyright and Patents Act 1998:

This 1998 act covers the creation, copying, public performance, renting, broadcast, issuing, lending and adapting of dramatic, artistic, literary and musical work. Naming, titling or colouring a product the same as another is not breaching this law but creations that require the creator to make judgement, work for a sustained period of time or have skill are considered a breach of the laws set by this act. The original creator of goods that come under this act will have full rights to it unless they have done it within a company, which then determines that it belong to the organisation. Business can be on the receiving end of this act should they use some one else's creation to promote their own product, or copy the creation outright.


Ethical Issues:

Most businesses will allow workers to check personal mail at breaks but all other mail checked in working hours should be relevant to the job at hand, to make sure that tasks are completed and they are paying the employees to work, not to waste time. Some businesses will filter internet services if they feel the workforce can not be trusted but most allow for free roaming as sometimes filtering can actually hinder a job. Employees are encouraged to make employers aware of any wrong doing in the business' practise or be a 'whistleblower' as it can lead to a business making necessary cuts to employees not using time correctly. Information that employees create is automatically attached to them and not the business they workforce, although this is not the case in the eye of the law, as mentioned above. Businesses want employees to take responsibility for work so that they are sure it's correct and can be consulted if it is not.