DAT 250 Module 6
Data Mining - ANS Searching records in one or more databases, looking for patterns or
relationships
Can be used to create profiles of individuals
Allows companies to build more personal relationships with customers
Secondary Uses of Information - ANS the reuse of identifiable information and identifiable
specimens that are collected from some other "primary" or "initial" activity
Collaborative Filtering - ANS Form of data mining
Analyze information about preferences of large number of people to predict what one person
may prefer
- Explicit method: ask people to rank preferences
- Implicit method: keep track of purchases
Used by online retailers and movie sites
Microtargeting - ANS Political campaigns determine voters most likely to support particular
candidates
- Voter registration
- Voting frequency
- Consumer data
- GIS data
Target direct mailings, emails, text messages, home visits to most likely supporters
Census Records - ANS Census required by US Constitution to ensure every state has fair
representation
Sometimes Census Bureau has broken confidentiality requirement by providing names and
address to find draft resistors and Japanese-Americans
Internal Revenue Service - ANS The 16th Amendment to the US Constitution gives the federal
government the power to collect an income tax (1913)
IRS collects more than $2 trillion a year in income taxes
Income tax forms contain a tremendous amount of personal information: income, assets, to
whom you make charitable contributions, medical expenses, and more
FBI National Crime Center Database - ANS NCIC - Collection of databases related to various
crimes (such as people incarcerated in federal prisons, suspected terrorists, violent gang
members)
- Contains > 39 million records • Successes
- Helps police solve hundreds of thousands of cases every year
, - Helped the FBI tie James Earl Ray to assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Helped FBI apprehend Timothy McVeigh for bombing of federal building in Oklahoma City
USA Patriot Act Provisions - ANS Provisions
- Federal law enforcement and intelligence officials with greater authority to monitor
communications
- Sec. of the Treasury has greater powers to regulate banks, preventing them from being used
for money laundering.
- Greater border controls making it more difficult for terrorists to enter the United States
- Defining new crimes and penalties for terrorist activity
USA Patriot Act Criticisms - ANS Critics say Act undermines 4th Amendment rights
- Allows police to use pen registers on the Internet to track email addresses and URLs.
- Allows for roving surveillance to be performed for the purpose of intelligence, and the
government does not have to prove that the person under investigation actually uses the device
to be tapped.
- Searches and seizures without warrants
- Warrants issued without need for showing probable cause
IRS Audits - ANS Internal Revenue Service uses computer matching and data mining to look
for possible income tax fraud • Computer matching: matching tax form information with
information provided by employers, banks, etc. • Data mining algorithm DIF (discriminant
function) to score every tax return. The DIF score is an indicator of how many irregularities there
are on a tax form, compared to carefully constructed profiles of correct tax returns.
Approximately 60% of tax returns audited are selected using high DIF scores.
Syndromic Surveillance Systems - ANS A data mining system that searches for patterns
indicating the outbreak of an epidemic or bioterrorism - 911 calls - emergency room visits -
school absenteeism - Purchases of prescription drugs - Internet searches to find patterns that
might indicate the onset of an epidemic
Profiling Issues - ANS Government security agencies supposed to protect nation from harm •
What if an erroneous profile characterizes an innocent citizen as a potential terrorist? • Since
the data being searched is so massive, it may be impossible to explain how an algorithm has
put someone on the watch list • US government's terrorist watch list now contains 1.5 million
names • How can innocent people clear their names?
5 methods for obtaining logins and passwords - ANS Eavesdropping • Dumpster diving • Social
engineering • Brute-force searches • Dictionary attacks
Sidejacking - ANS hijacking of an open Web session by capturing a user's cookie giving the
attacker the same privileges as the user on that Web site
viruses - ANS Piece of self-replicating code embedded within another program (host)
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller KINGJAY. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $11.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
