Section 7-Issues Flashcards

1
Q

What are computer ethics?

A

Moral guidelines that govern the use of computers and information systems

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2
Q

What is a computer addiction?

A

A growing health problem that occurs when the computer consumes someone’s entire social life

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3
Q

What are ethical issues?

A

Issues that would be considered right or wrong by society

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4
Q

What are legal issues?

A

Issues which are actually right or wrong in the eyes of the law

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5
Q

What are environmental issues?

A

Issues about how we impact the natural world

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6
Q

How have smartphones raised ethical issues?

A

Smartphones have allowed us to keep in touch much more easily, but have also allowed people to neglect face-to-face interactions. Some might say this is making people more rude and less sociable

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7
Q

How have wearable technology raised ethical issues?

A

It has many positive effects-for example, wireless headsets may stop people from using their phone while driving and fitness trackers can help promote healthy lifestyles. However, it can also cause problems-for example, smart glasses with built-in cameras have sparked controversy because it can be seen as invasion of privacy

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8
Q

How have computer based implants raised ethical issues?

A

(Chips that are surgically inserted into the body) may become more common in the future. They could allow better monitoring of our health and may make our daily lives more convenient, but will likely be expensive and may lead to less privacy

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9
Q

What is digital divide?

A

People who have limited access to technology are divided from those that have a greater access to new digital technology

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10
Q

How does the internet create issues in technology?

A

The internet gives people greater anonymity, which can enable anti-social and abusive behavior.

For example;cyber bullying is when somebody uses the internet to deliberately intimidate, insult or humiliate someone.

Another example is trolling. This is where somebody tries to cause public arguments with others online, only making comments which frustrate other people for amusement or to gain attention

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11
Q

How does technology change how we access services?

A

1) The ability to wirelessly stream music and television has allowed customers to access media conveniently and cheaply, either for free or through a subscription service. But users of these services often do not own what they are paying for and they can lose access to it easily
2) The rise in popularity of smartphones has lead to certain apps becoming very successful; like Uber
3) These services are often cheap and convenient, but they draw customers away from traditional businesses. Also they may be more risky for customers as they are not necessarily regulated as strictly as traditional businesses were
4) There are also many computing services that are now offered for free-eg;cloud storage and webmail. Often these services will have limited access however if you want the premium version which will cost more money. This can lead to digital divide
5) This type of business model can also be seen in mobile games- however some say that these games can exploit How have wearable technology raised ethical issues?people with more impulsive spending habits

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12
Q

How is technology changing the way businesses operate?

A

1) A lot of businesses nowadays expect people to be able to use technology and access services online. For example, employers may expect people to be able to apply for jobs online, and many require employees to have basic computer skills
2) The popularity of mobile devices has lead to some businesses insisting that employees carry a smartphone with them at all time so they can always be contacted. people who do not have a mobile device are at a disadvantage
3) Some companies have gone as far as offering their employees computer chip implants that are used to open security doors and access their computer but this idea is seen as unethical
4) Marketing and advertising have been greatly affected by new technology. Pop-ups appear all over the internet and targeted adverts are shown to people on social media sites. Most of these free services are funded by advertising for money so if everyone uses an Adblocker, then the company will have no money to invest into online advertisements and promotions.

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13
Q

How is it hard to keep information online private?

A

1) Some websites require personal information in order to set up an account and social media websites actively encourage users to post more personal information.
2) Users usually agree with a privacy agreement before you use online websites and service however not many people actually read this, so they are unaware to what they are agreeing to.
3) Companies can do a lot of things with your information as long as it lies within the bounds of the agreement. They may make your information available to other people, so that you might be targeted by specific advertisements related to your searches.
4) Users can make their information private if they do so in the settings of these sites
5) Users have to trust companies to keep their data safe.

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14
Q

What is computer surveillance?

A

When someone monitors what other people are accessing on the internet

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15
Q

Why does the government use surveillance?

A

Government security services may use packet sniffers and other software to monitor Internet traffic, looking out for certain key words or phrases that might alert them to illegal activities, terrorism, etc.

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16
Q

What is internet censorship?

A

When someone tries to control what other people can access on the internet. Some countries’ governments use censorship to restrict access to certain information

17
Q

Give an example of one of the strictest countries for censorship?

A

-China
In China, they restrict access to websites which are critical of the government. They also censor many major foreign websites like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

18
Q

What are peoples’ opinions on censorship and surveillance?

A

Some people support them in some form, eg; to protect children or to stop terrorism. Others are completely against them, including several non-profit organisations which campaign against what they call cyber censorship and mass surveillance

19
Q

What are the laws that control the use of your personal data?

A

1) When an organisation stores someone’s personal data on their system, that person is entitled to certain rights, stated in the data protection laws
2) Before collecting personal data, an organisation must register with the government, saying what data they will collect and how they will use it
3) Organisations have a legal obligation to have good cyber security on their network to keep personal data secure
4) Companies that use cloud storage to store personal data must ensure the service is trustworthy and reliable.

20
Q

What is the Computer Misuse Act?

A

The Computer Misuse Act was introduced to stop hacking and cyber crime. It introduced these three new offences:

  • Gaining unauthorized access to a private network or device like hacking can get you a fine or prison sentence
  • Gaining unauthorized access to a network or device in order to commit a crime, like stealing data or destroying the network
  • Unauthorized modification of computer material-eg; deleting or changing files. The act also makes it illegal to make, supply or obtain malware
21
Q

What is cyber crime?

A

Cyber crime refers to any illegal activity that involves computers

22
Q

What is Hacking?

A

Hacking refers to gaining access to a system by exploiting weaknesses in its security. This is usually done to steal and destroy data, or to infect the system with malware. However, some companies employ ‘good’ hackers to identify vulnerabilities through penetration testing.

23
Q

What are the different methods hackers use to attack system?

A

There are 4 different methods:

  • Passive attacks- monitoring data on a network
  • Active attacks- using malware or other means to attack a system directly
  • Brute force attacks- using automated software and trial-and-error to crack passwords
  • Denial-of-service attacks- preventing people from using a network by flooding it with useless traffic
24
Q

What is the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act?

A

An Act which protects intellectual property (anything someone has created, e.g. a novel, a song, software , a new invention) from being copied or stolen by other people

25
Q

What do Patents do?

A

Patents cover new inventions- they protect ideas and concepts rather than actual content. Normally, you would have to apply for (and pay for) a patent. In computing, patents mostly apply to pieces of hardware

26
Q

What does Copyright do?

A

Copyright covers written or recorded content, e.g. books, music and films. Copyright usually applies to works without needing to apply for it. The Act makes it illegal to share copyrighted material without the copyright holder’s permission, or to plagiarize somebody else’s work

27
Q

What is usually is and isn’t Copyrighted?

A
  • Most software is protected by copyright. It is illegal to use or share a piece of copyrighted software without a license.
  • Computer code is usually copyright protected, although is is hard to protect smaller pieces of code
  • Algorithms(e.g. Bubble Sort) tend to not be copyright protected. In certain countries, developers are able to get patents for more specific algorithms
28
Q

How is it difficult to prove that computer code has been copied?

A

This is because:

  • Similarities in code can be a coincidence, particularly if both programs were written to perform the same task.
  • Creators of paid software will often want to keep their source code secret to prevent competitors from seeing and copying it. However, not being able to directly compare the source code makes it hard to identify where code has been copied.
29
Q

What is Cracking?

A
  • Cracking is where users illegal modify the software to remove or bypass unwanted features
  • Cracked Software is often distributed online, which leads to people to argue that DRM does not work and that it only inconveniences legitimate users. Some DRM can even make older software unusable if the authentication is no longer available
30
Q

How has the internet made it hard to protect copyrighted data?

A

It has made it hard due to the ease of file sharing. Developers often include DRM (Digital Rights Management) with software- this attempts to prevent unauthorized use of software with things like activation keys and online authentication.

31
Q

What content can be copied and shared legally?

A
  • There is a lot of open source software available online, where users are allowed to freely download and modify the source code.
  • Open source software is often distributed using Creative Commons (CC) licenses. e.g. Mozilla Firefox and VLC Media Player. These allow users to legally share the software, while specifically allowing and disallowing certain actions
  • Popular open source software is often supported by a strong online community, where people work together to improve the software and fix bugs.
32
Q

What are the environmental issues?

A
  • When we make devices, we use up natural resources
  • When we use devices,we use a lot of energy
  • When we throw away devices, we create a lot of electronic waste
33
Q

How is using natural resources an issue?

A
  • Electronic devices contains a lot of raw materials
  • Plastics (Which are used for casing and other parts) come from crude oil
  • Devices also contain many precious metals like gold, silver, copper, mercury, palladium, platinum and indium. Most of these materials occur naturally in small amounts
  • Extracting these materials uses a lot of energy, creates pollution and depletes scarce natural resources
34
Q

How is using a lot of energy an issue?

A
  • Most electricity is made from using non-renewable resources like coal, oil and gas. Extracting these resources and producing electricity in power stations causes a lot of pollution including greenhouse gases
  • Devices waste a lot of energy. Servers normally only use a small proportion of their processing power. People often leave their desktops, laptops, and smartphones idle. This means these devices are using a lot of energy without actually doing anything
35
Q

How can you reduce the amount of energy wasted by devices?

A
  • Virtual servers are software-based servers rather than real machines. Multiple virtual servers can run on one physical server, so the physical server can run at full capacity
  • Switching off mobile devices overnight, or putting them to sleep mode, can save power
  • Devices often use more energy when searching for a wireless connection. Disabling this, or using a wired connection, could preserve battery life
36
Q

How is E-waste a problem?

A
  • The world creates 20-50 million tonnes of e-waste every year. Modern devices have a very short life before they are discarded.
  • Device manufacturers and retailers are part of this problem. They provide short warranties (e.g. a year), use marketing to convince people to upgrade and have pricing policies that make it cheaper to replace than repair
  • The Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive was created to tackle the e-waste problem. The WEEE has rules for disposing of e-waste safely, to promote reuse and recycling
  • To cut costs, a lot of the e-waste is sent to certain African and Asian countries where regulations are less strict. Here, most of it ends up on a landfill and can be a hazard- toxic chemicals can leak into the ground water and harm wildlife