Get IT Done - Carpe Datum

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Carpe Datum!

Get IT Done

Consider data as “facts and statistics collected together for reference or analysis.” Humans have collected and exchanged data about our surroundings since time immemorial. It is a basic survival trait forged by all social species, but most of those species can only share what they personally remember.

Humans altered this paradigm radically with the invention of writing and, later, the printing press. But Information Technology (“IT”) was the game changer. With IT we can instantly share data with millions across great distances. While we should be free to share our personal information with anyone we wish, others are now sharing our data without our knowledge or explicit consent. Some of this sharing is purposeful and some through sloppy business practices. Organizations have created new business models around the sharing of data. It is said that data is the “new oil”, and data has certainly become the product behind great fortunes. How did it happen and where will it end?

It begins with millions of businesses each recording transactions to manage their inventory and sales. Who bought what, when, where and for how much? Historically, your data was spread across many businesses in small, isolated pools.

Those businesses now share your data with aggregators like Amazon, Google, and Verizon. These aggregators not only have the details of your individual transactions, but they also know where you have been – both digitally and physically. (Google tracks your travels on the web and Verizon tracks your physical location.)

Aggregators stream many disparate pools of data into “data lakes”. A data lake is a centralized repository that stores data on a massive scale. Like real lakes, data lakes are often polluted. New IT tools like real-time analytics and machine learning allow for the data lake to be cleaned and filtered into “big data”. Big data is “extremely large data sets that may be analyzed computationally to reveal patterns, trends, and associations, especially relating to human behavior and interactions.” This trend will continue until we are surrounded by an ocean of data. Like the real ocean, it will be filled with both riches and dangers. In the wrong hands, your data can hurt you. Your data needs to be protected.

It is your data. Isn’t it? Regretfully, many sites will only provide service when users agree to a Terms of Use or Terms of Service statement. As you know, these can be many pages long and contain many esoteric legal statements. Given that most of us are not lawyers, we tend to click right through. These agreements usually state that any data you add to their website belongs to them. While this common practice has stacked operations in favor of the service owners, the government has begun to protect our data, both at a Federal and State level.

We tried depending on businesses to do the “right thing” with our data. Regretfully, as the right thing costs money, it was often not done. Given that our data is often exposed to misuse and cyber theft, governments crafted a raft of laws to protect your Personal Identifiable Information (“PII”). PII is any data that could be used to identify an individual to whom the information applies. This covers Social Security Numbers, names, addresses, telephone numbers and the like. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act is a type of PII.

While the government has attempted to level the playing field, we each need to stay active in the game. Be cautious about the data you share and understand that businesses and others are always watching. Keep demanding your data rights.

Seize the day and your data!

get IT done

Think About IT!

Tony Keefe, COO, Entre Computer Services www.entrecs.com

FEBRUARY 2022 The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 17