The first act we will talk about …show more content…
The FOIA generally provides that any person has the right to request access to federal agency records or information except to the extent the records are protected from disclosure by any of nine exemptions contained in the law (US Department of State) Under the FOIA agencies must release any information that is requested unless that information is protected from disclosure by law. The FOIA also requires that agencies automatically disclosure certain information, including frequently requested records.
How does citizens request the information? Well, first of all, we have to keep in mind that submitting a request for information is not difficult, however, a complete, well-written letter or email submitted to the right agency may increase your chances of getting a satisfactory response and avoiding delays or the need for further correspondence. A written request will serve as evidence of the requested information, as any other professional request must have your name, your address and the date, also it is very important to be as specific as your knowledge of the available records will allow. But it is more important to describe the information you are …show more content…
Finally, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act which is commonly refer as SOX is a legislative response to a number of corporate scandals that sent shockwaves through the world financial markets, some of the biggest issues involved companies such as enron, tyco and WorldCom that rattled investor confidence.
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act not only affects the financial side of corporations, but also IT departments charged with storing a corporation 's electronic records. The act is not a set of business practices and does not specify how a business should store records; rather, it defines which records should be stored and for how long. SOX states that all business records, including electronic records and electronic messages, must be saved for "not less than five years." The consequences for noncompliance are fines, imprisonment or both (Rouse)
Information Technology providers need to create and maintain corporate records in a cost-effective fashion that satisfies the requirements of SOX. The retention, periods of storage the non-destruction, alteration or falsification of records and best practices need to be considered to avoid big