School of Management, Unit Catalogue 2008/09 |
MN50189 Privacy, trust and security in the e-society |
| Credits: 6 |
| Level: Masters |
| Semester: 2 |
| Assessment: CW 100% |
| Requisites: |
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Aims: The aim of this unit is to examine in-depth current controversies, topics and theories in the area of privacy, trust and security in the e-society.
Learning Outcomes: By the end of the unit students will have developed an understanding of the key privacy, trust and security issues in the development and use of information technology in organizations and at a societal level; and will understand key criteria and frameworks for understanding these issues in the context of theory. Skills: Intellectual Skills * an understanding of the concepts and theory of privacy, trust and security, and the contexts in which they occur (TA); * the facility to apply this knowledge into a range of complex situations, taking into account the overall implications for the other areas of the business (TFA); * a conceptual understanding of theoretical concepts and frameworks that enables the student to meaningfully link theory and practice and the ability to critically appraise both theory and practice (TFA); Professional and Practical Skills * evaluate privacy, trust and security issues for information systems within an organisational context (A); * understand the role of the regulatory environment and legal requirements in terms of privacy, security and trust issues. * operate effectively both independently as well as within teams and assume leadership roles where appropriate (F); * be self-directed and able to act autonomously in planning and implementing projects at professional levels (F) Transferable/Key Skills * an openness and capacity to continue learning with the ability to reflect on earlier knowledge and practice and integrate the new with past experience and effectively apply it to the present situations (TFA); * an appreciation and in-depth understanding of the resources and competences required for successful cross-functional management in organisations (TA). Content: Issues of privacy, security and trust are critical to most recent developments in the e-society. For instance, many social software / web 2.0 systems like social networking sites exert a privacy cost on users, both in terms of maximizing advertising revenue and for the system to work as intended. Issues of trust and integrity are critical when we begin to consider issues like crowd-sourcing (e.g. Wikipedia), peer-to-peer trading (e.g. ebay), virtual team work, or the use of virtual media for the promotion of brands. This unit begins by examining the nature of privacy and trust, taking a multi-disciplinary look at how each can be defined, measured and the issues in terms of the e-society and business in particular. A series of case studies (e.g. mobile phones, surveillance and the workplace, cyber-crime and the consumer, tracking of children, e-government, viral and permission-based marketing, deception and trust in communication, economics of privacy and security) are then used to develop an understanding of the role of privacy, security and trust in the implementation and acceptance of new technology. Students are encouraged to apply the content of the course to their own subject interest, for instance, marketing, consumer behavior, social software or information systems. |