Page 270 - DCAP104_EXPOSURE_TO_COMPUTER_DISCPLINES

Unit 14: Taking Protected Measures

invisible gif images are not web bugs, as some are used for alignment purposes. Web bugs are Notes
also known as clear gifs or 1 by 1 gifs or invisible gifs.
The informations sent to the server are:

 The IP address of the system that fetched the Web Bug
 The URL of the page that the Web Bug is located on

 The URL of the Web Bug image

 The time the Web Bug was viewed
 The type of browser that fetched the Web Bug image

 A previously set cookie value.
Networks use web bugs to add information to a personal profile of what sites a person is visiting.
This information is stored in a database belonging to the ad network. This in turn determines
what banner ad the user is shown. Web bugs are also used to gather statistics about web browser
usage and independent accounting of the number of people who have visited a particular web
site. Web bugs can be found by using the HTML source of a web page. The web bug is usually
loaded from a different server than the rest of the page.

14.6 Keeping your Data Secure

After a series of catastrophic errors by big businesses and the government, data protection issues
have been thrown into sharp relief. As criminals become more savvy to how they can use data
and the public becomes more alert to the threats identity theft and careless handling of data pose,
it’s become increasingly important for businesses to ensure their approach to data protection is
as scrupulous as possible.
14.6.1 The Data Protection Act

(a) The Data Protection Act came into force in 1998 and provides businesses and public bodies
with a series of regulations governing how they handle people’s personal information. If
you store any personal data on customers or employees, the Data Protection Act applies to
you.

(b) The information the Data Protection Act covers can be described as any information about
living, identified or identifiable individuals. It includes names, addresses, email addresses,
dates of birth, bank details and opinions expressed about an individual.

(c) The Data Protection Act is split into eight principles, which require that you:
1. Process data fairly and according to the law

2. Process data for a limited, lawful purpose
3. Only hold enough information for your purpose—nothing excessive or extraneous

4. Ensure the data you hold is accurate, relevant and up-to-date
5. Don’t hold the data for any longer than necessary

6. Process the data in line with individuals’ rights (below)

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