ISSUE OF DEDICATED AND SHARED SYSTEMS (FROM PROJECT SEARCH - INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE INFORMATION AND STATISTICS SYSTEMS - PROCEEDINGS, 1972, BY GARY COOPER - SEE NCJ-09380)

• NCJ Number: 48319
• Author(s): C J BEDDOME; T R GROSS; K T ORR; S W HOVEY
• Date Published: 1972
• Length: 11 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; Project Search (See Search Group Inc)
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

PERSPECTIVES ON THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF COMPUTER SYSTEM SHARING VERSUS SYSTEMS DEDICATED TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE USE ARE PRESENTED. EMPHASIS IS ON ISSUES OF SECURITY, PRIVACY, AND CONFIDENTIALITY.

Abstract

THE ISSUE OF SHARED VERSUS DEDICATED COMPUTER SYSTEMS HAS BEEN HOTLY DEBATED. THE STANCE TAKEN BY PROJECT SEARCH IN 'TECHNICAL REPORT NO. 2' IS THAT DIRECT ACCESS TO SYSTEM INFORMATION SHOULD BE RESTRICTED TO THOSE PUBLIC AGENCIES WHOSE PRINCIPLE FUNCTION IS CRIME PREVENTION, APPREHENSION, ADJUDICATION, OR REHABILITATION. A MAJOR REASON FOR THIS IS THAT THOSE WITH ACCESS TO INFORMATION ARE IN A POSITION OF POWER AND THE SCOPE OF SUCH POWER SHOULD BE LIMITED. MOREOVER, CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCIES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONFIDENTIALITY AND SECURITY OF THE INFORMATION THEY CONTROL AND SHOULD, THEREFORE, EXERCISE FULL MANAGEMENT CONTROL OVER THAT INFORMATION. FINALLY, THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY THAT SYSTEM SHARING WOULD PERMIT THE PLACING OF OTHER GOVERNMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE PRIORITIES ABOVE THOSE TO WHICH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IS DEDICATED. FROM ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE, THE SHARED/DEDICATED QUESTION IS VIEWED AS ONLY ONE OF MANY ISSUES INVOLVING SECURITY AND PRIVACY, AND THESE ISSUES SHOULD BE DEALT WITH THROUGH SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE CONTROLS THAT ARE APPLICABLE WHETHER A SYSTEM IS SHARED OR DEDICATED. RESPONSE TIME, TOO, IS A FUNCTION OF THE HARDWARE INVOLVED AND NOT OF THE TYPE OR SCOPE OF THE SYSTEM. THE REAL ISSUE, THEN, IS ONE OF COST/BENEFIT RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF SYSTEM OBJECTIVES AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. IT MAY BE THAT A SPECTRUM OF APPROACHES IS MOST APPROPRIATE IN WHICH SOME FUNCTIONS ARE DEDICATED AND OTHERS ARE SHARED. A DISCUSSION IS INCLUDED OF THE NATIONAL CRIME INFORMATION CENTER POLICY ON MANAGEMENT CONTROL WITHIN A SYSTEM DEDICATED TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE. IT IS SUGGESTED, HOWEVER, THAT THIS SYSTEM PRESENTS AN OVERSIMPLIFIED APPROACH TO THE ISSUE; ONE THAT CANNOT OF ITSELF ENSURE PRIVACY AND SECURITY. MOREOVER, THIS TYPE OF SYSTEM ASSUMES THAT CRIMINAL JUSTICE INFORMATION IS MORE SENSITIVE THAN OTHER KINDS OF DATA AND THAT OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES ARE LESS SENSITIVE TO SECURITY AND CONFIDENTIALITY THAN ARE CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCIES. ARGUING IN FAVOR OF A DEDICATED SYSTEM IS THE ORGANIZATION'S NEED FOR PRIVACY AND OPERATIONAL INDEPENDENCE FROM ANY OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCY. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT INCREASED AWARENESS AND KNOWLEDGE OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY BY AGENCY HEADS AND ADMINISTRATORS, THE DECREASING COSTS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, AND COMMERCIAL TIME-SHARING COUPLED WITH PROCEDURAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL CONTROL MAKE THE DEVELOPMENT OF DEDICATED RATHER THAN SHARED SYSTEMS INCREASINGLY LIKELY AND THE PROTECTION OF BOTH INDIVIDUAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL PRIVACY RIGHTS MORE ATTAINABLE. (JAP)