SOCIAL AND PROFESSIONAL

ISSUES

MODULE 1: COMPUTER ETHICS

 Computer Ethics

•Computers are involved to some

extent in almost every aspect of our
lives
• They often perform life-critical tasks

•Computer science is not regulated to

the extent of medicine, air travel, or
construction zoning
•Therefore, we need to carefully
consider the issues of ethics
 Ethics

• Ethics are standards of moral conduct

•Standards of right and wrong

behavior
•A gauge of personal integrity

•The basis of trust and

cooperation in relationships with
others
 Ethical Principals

• Ethical principals are tools which are used to think through difficult
situations.
• Three useful ethical principals:
• An act is ethical if all of society benefits from the act.
• An act is ethical if people are treated as an end and not as a means to an end.
• An act is ethical if it is fair to all parties involved.
 Computer Ethics

•Computer ethics are morally

acceptable use of computers
• i.e. using computers appropriately

•Standards or guidelines are important

in this industry, because technology
changes are outstripping the legal
system’s ability to keep up
 Ethics for Computer Professionals

Computer Professionals:
•Are experts in their field,
•Know customers rely on their knowledge,
expertise, and honesty,
•Understand their products (and related risks)
affect many people,
•Follow good professional standards and
practices,
•Maintain an expected level of competence
and are up-to-date on current knowledge and
technology, and
•Educate the non-computer professional
 Computer Ethics

•Four primary issues

•Privacy – responsibility to protect data
about individuals
•Accuracy - responsibility of data collectors
to authenticate information and ensure its
accuracy
•Property - who owns information and
software and how can they be sold and
exchanged
•Access - responsibility of data collectors to
control access and determine what
information a person has the right to
obtain about others and how the
information can be used
 Problems with
Large Databases

•Spreading information without

consent
•Some large companies use medical
records and credit records as a factor in
important personnel decisions

•Spreading inaccurate information

•Mistakes in one computer file can easily
migrate to others
•Inaccurate data may linger for years
 U.S. Federal Privacy Laws

General Federal Privacy Laws:

Freedom Of Information Act, 1968

Privacy Act Of 1974

Electronic Communications Privacy Act Of

1986
Computer Matching And Privacy
Protection Act Of 1988
Computer Security Act Of 1987

Federal Internet Privacy Protection Act Of

1997
 U.S. Federal Privacy Laws
Privacy Laws Affecting Private
Institutions:
Fair Credit Reporting Act, 1970
Right To Financial Privacy Act Of 1978
Privacy Protection Act Of 1980
Cable Communications Policy Act Of 1984
Electronic Communications Privacy Act Of 1986
Video Privacy Protection Act Of 1988
Consumer Internet Privacy Protection Act Of
1997
Communications Privacy & Consumer
Empowerment Act Of 1997
Data Privacy Act Of 1997
 Private Networks

•Employers may legally monitor

electronic mail
•In 2001, 63% of companies monitored
employee Internet connections
including about two-thirds of the 60
billion electronic messages sent by 40
million e-mail users.
•Most online services reserve the right
to censor content
•These rights lead to contentious
issues over property rights versus
free speech and privacy
 The Internet and the Web

•Most people don’t worry about email

privacy on the Web due to illusion of
anonymity
•Each e-mail you send results in at least 3 or 4
copies being stored on different computers.
•Web sites often load files on your
computer called cookies to record times
and pages visited and other personal
information
•Spyware - software that tracks your online
movements, mines the information stored
on your computer, or uses your computer
for some task you know nothing about.
 General Internet Issues

• Inflammatory interchange of messages via internet (email, chat

rooms, etc.)
• Chain mail

• Virus warning hoaxes

• “Spam” – unsolicited, bulk email

 E-Mail Netiquette

•Promptly respond to messages.

•Delete messages after you read them if
you don’t need to save the information.
•Don’t send messages you wouldn’t want
others to read.
•Keep the message short and to the point.
•Don’t type in all capital letters.
•Be careful with sarcasm and humor in
your message.
 Internet Content &
Free Speech Issues

•Information on internet includes

hate, violence, and information that
is harmful for children
•How much of this should be regulated?

•Do filters solve problems or create

more?
•Is web site information used for
course work and research reliable?
 Information Ownership
Issues

•Illegal software copying (pirating)

•Infringement of copyrights by copying

of pictures or text from web pages
•Plagiarism by copying text from other
sources when original work is expected
 Terms

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY:
Intangible creations protected by law
TRADE SECRET:
Intellectual work or products belonging to
a business, not in public domain
COPYRIGHT: Statutory
grant protecting intellectual property
from copying by others for 28 years
PATENT: Legal
document granting owner exclusive
monopoly on an invention for 17 years
 Copyright Laws

Software developers (or the

companies they work for) own their
programs.
Software buyers only own the right to
use the software according to the
license agreement.
No copying, reselling, lending, renting,
leasing, or distributing is legal without
the software owner’s permission.
 Software Licenses

There are four types of software

licenses:
 Public Domain
 Freeware
 Shareware
 All Rights Reserved
 Public Domain License

 Public domain software has no owner and is not protected by copyright law.
 It was either created with public funds, or the ownership was forfeited by the creator.
 Can be copied, sold, and/or modified
 Often is of poor quality/unreliable
 Freeware License

 Freeware is copyrighted software that is licensed to be copied and distributed without

charge.
 Freeware is free, but it’s still under the owner’s control.
 Examples:

Eudora Light

Netscape
 Shareware License

• A shareware software license allows you to use the software for a trial period, but you must pay
a registration fee to the owner for permanent use.

•Some shareware trials expire on a

certain date
•Payment depends on the honor system
• Purchasing (the right to use) the software may also get you a version with more powerful
features and published documentation.
All Rights Reserved License

 May be used by the purchaser according the exact details spelled out in the license
agreement.
 You can’t legally use it--or even possess it-- without the owner’s permission.
 Software Piracy

 SPA (Software Publishers

Association) polices software piracy
and mainly targets:
 Illegal duplication
 Sale of copyrighted software
 Companies that purchase single
copies and load the software on
multiple computers or networks
 They rely on whistle-blowers.
 Penalties (for primary user of PC)
may include fines up to $250,000
and/or imprisonment up to 5 years in
jail
 System Quality

•Bug-free software is difficult to produce

•It must be carefully designed,
developed, and tested
•Mistakes generated by computers can
be far reaching
•Commenting and documenting
software is required for effective
maintenance throughout the life of the
program
 System Quality

ETHICAL ISSUES:
When is software, system or service
ready for release?
SOCIAL ISSUES:
Can people trust quality of software,
systems, services, data?
POLITICAL ISSUES:
Should congress or industry develop
standards for software, hardware, data
quality?
 Computer Crime

•Computer criminals -using a computer

to commit an illegal act
•Who are computer criminals?
•Employees – disgruntled or dishonest --
the largest category
•Outside users - customers or suppliers

•“Hackers” and “crackers” - hackers do it

“for fun” but crackers have malicious
intent
•Organized crime - tracking illegal
enterprises, forgery, counterfeiting
 Types of Computer Crime

•Damage to computers, programs or

files
•Viruses - migrate through systems
attached to files and programs
•Worms - continuously self-replicate
•Theft
•Of hardware, software, data, computer
time
•Software piracy - unauthorized copies
of copyrighted material
•View/Manipulation
•“Unauthorized entry” and “harmless
message” still illegal
 Computer Security

• Computer security involves protecting:

• information, hardware and software

• from unauthorized use and damage and
• from sabotage and natural disasters
 Measures to Protect
Computer Security
•Restricting access both to the hardware
locations (physical access) and into the
system itself (over the network) using
firewalls
•Implementing a plan to prevent break-ins
•Changing passwords frequently
•Making backup copies
•Using anti-virus software
•Encrypting data to frustrate interception
•Anticipating disasters (disaster recovery plan)
•Hiring trustworthy employees
 Computer Ethics
for Computer Professionals

•Competence– Professionals keep up

with the latest knowledge in their field
and perform services only in their area
of competence.
•Responsibility– Professionals are loyal
to their clients or employees, and they
won’t disclose confidential information.
•Integrity– Professionals express their
opinions based on facts, and they are
impartial in their judgments.
 The ACM Code of Conduct

•According to the Association for Computing

Machinery (ACM) code, a computing
professional:
•Contributes to society and human well-being
•Avoids harm to others
•Is honest and trustworthy
•Is fair and takes action not to discriminate
•Honors property rights, including copyrights
and patents
•Gives proper credit when using the
intellectual property of others
•Respects other individuals’ rights to privacy
•Honors confidentiality
 Quality of Life Issues

Rapid Change:
Reduced response time to competition

Maintaining Boundaries:
Family, work, leisure

Dependence And Vulnerability

Employment:
Re-engineering job loss

Equity & Access:

Increasing gap between haves and have
nots
Health Issues
Ergonomics

•Ergonomics:
• helps computer users to avoid

•physical and mental health risks

• and to increase

•productivity
 Physical Health Issues

•Avoid eyestrain and headache

•Take regular breaks every couple of

hours
•Control ambient light and insure
adequate monitor brightness
•Avoid back and neck pain

•Have adjustable equipment with

adequate back support
•Keep monitor at, or slightly below eye
level
 Physical Health Issues

•Avoid effects of electromagnetic fields

(VDT radiation)
•Possible connection to miscarriages and
cancers, but no statistical support yet
•Use caution if pregnant

•Avoid repetitive strain injury (RSI)

•Injuries from fast, repetitive work

•Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) - nerve and

tendon damage in hands and wrists
 The Environment

•Microcomputers are the greatest

user of electricity in the workplace
•“Green” PCs
•System unit and display - minimize
unnecessary energy consumption and
power down when not in use
•Manufacturing - avoids harmful
chemicals in production, focus on
chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s) which
some blame for ozone layer depletion
 Personal Responsibility
of Users

•Conserve
• Turn computers off at end of work day
• Use screen savers

•Recycle
• Most of the paper we use is eligible
• Dispose of old parts via recycling programs – most computer parts are
dangerous in landfills

•Educate
• Know the facts about ecological issues