John Boufford

Are you ready to handle requests from individuals seeking access to their own personal information under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)? The act, which comes into full effect Jan. 1, 2004, gives Canadians the legal right to access their own personal information, except in certain situations as set out in the act.

The biggest problem with the domestic war on terrorism is the threat to the Canadian way of life, notes a Comptuerworld Canada columnist. If we discard our respect for privacy and human rights in favour of an excessive security response, we will have lost the war on terrorism, suggests John Boufford.

I have to admit, I was taken aback by a couple of issues related to post 9-11 that arose at a recent security conference.

Last fall, the Canadian Advanced Technology Association (CATA Alliance; www.cata.ca) published the results of their Internet misuse survey (www.cata.ca/cata/news/aug2701.cfm)

Are companies responsible for privacy practices of third-party links on their Web site?

I've just left a CIPS' national board meeting where board members and section presidents have been business planning.

The recent terrorist acts in the United States will forever change our North American views on safety and security. One issue currently under debate is the public mood to trade of some civil liberties and privacy rights for increased security. Where the dust will settle on that issue is anyone's guess.

Consumer acceptance of on-line transactions received another setback last winter. Reportedly, a hacker suspected to be from...