The spreadsheet on the train
An analyst leaves a laptop on a train. One open file lists customer names, what each one spent and the login for the data warehouse (a big store of company data).
A stranger finds it. What can the stranger do with that one file?
Some information is private for a good reason. Today you learn which information that is, and why.
Key words
| Word | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Confidential | Private. Only the right people may see it. | a salary |
| Human Resources | The part of a company that looks after its staff. Short form: HR. | |
| Commercially sensitive | Information that helps a rival if they get it. | a customer list |
| Intellectual property | Ideas and designs a company owns. | a model design |
| Access information | What proves who you are to a system. | a password |
| Biometric | A body feature used as proof of who you are. | a fingerprint |
| Stakeholder | A person or group with an interest in the company. | an owner or an investor |
| MFA | Proving who you are in two or more ways. | a password and a phone code |
| Passphrase | A password made of several words. | green bus late friday |
| PIN | Personal identification number: a short number code. | a four digit door code |
| Privacy | A person's right to keep their own details to themselves. | |
| Unauthorised | Without permission. | unauthorised access |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can name the confidential information an organisation holds and say why each kind is kept private.
Starter: what you already know
Have a go
Starter: what you already know
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
Staff information is HR information
Every company knows things about its staff. The HR team keeps them.
Pay and benefits. What each person earns, and extras such as a pension or private health care.
Personal details. A home address, a phone number, a date of birth and next of kin.
A staff member would not want a stranger to read any of this.
Check: staff information
Have a go
Check: staff information
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.