25-08-2017, 09:32 PM
ETHICS, IMPACTS & SECURITY IN COMPUTERS.
ETHICS IMPACTS AND SECURITY IN COMPUTER.doc (Size: 67 KB / Downloads: 25)
Introduction:
At present, the high-tech workplace is creating confusion about what constitutes the ethical or moral behavior on the job. According to a recent survey, one out of every six Americans feel that the traditional standards of what is right and what is wrong at work are no longer relevant because of the emerging new technologies. Not only do computers provide us with different ways of working, thinking and playing, they also present some different moral choices, which are termed as the ‘Ethical Issues’. So, the main objective of this seminar is to make each and every IT student familiar with the Ethics, Impacts and Security in Computers.
Ethical Issues:
Ethics is a branch of Philosophy that deals with what is considered to be right and wrong.
The spread of IT has created many new ethical situations. Major differences were found among companies and individuals with respect to what is ethical. So, a framework for ethics was proposed.
• Framework for Ethics:
Many companies and professional organizations develop their own codes of ethics. A code of ethics is a collection of principles intended as a guide for members of a company or an organization. The diversity of IT applications and the increased use of the technology have created a variety of ethical issues. An attempt to organize these issues into a framework was undertaken by R. O. Mason and others who categorized the ethical issues into four kinds. They are:
(i) Privacy Issues.
(ii) Accuracy Issues
(iii) Property issues
(iv) Accessibility issues
Privacy Issues:
Privacy is the right of people not to reveal information about them. In common four states of privacy are identified. They are:
Solitude.
Intimacy.
Anonymity.
Reserve.
A description of the above four terms follows:
Solitude: It is the state of being alone, away from outside interference.
Intimacy: It is the state of privacy one wants to enjoy from the outside world.
Anonymity: It is the state of being free of external surveillance.
Reserve: It is the ability to control information about oneself.
In the past, the complexity of collecting, sorting, filing and accessing information manually from several different agencies was, in many cases, a built-in protection against misuse of information. It was simply too expensive and complex to invade information privacy.
However, personal computers, powerful software,
large databases and the Internet have created an entirely new
dimension of accessing and using personal data. A great many
people are concerned about the loss of their right to privacy.
So, this privacy should be protected. For this privacy codes
and policies were introduced.
Privacy Codes and Policies:
One way to protect privacy is to develop privacy
policies or codes, which can help organizations, avoid legal
problems. In many corporations, senior management has
begun to understand that with the ability to collect vast
amounts of personal information on customers, clients and
employees comes an obligation to ensure that the information
and therefore the individual is protected.
A sampling of privacy policy guidelines
include:
• Data Collection
• Data Accuracy.
A description of the above two samplings follows:
• Data Collection: The guidelines to be followed here are
(a) Data should be collected on individuals only for the purpose of
accomplishing a legitimate business objective.
(b) Individuals must give their consent before data pertaining to them
can be gathered. Such consent may be implied from the individual’s
actions.
• Data Acuracy: It could be protected by
following some guidelines. They are:
(a) Sensitive data gathered on individuals should be verified before
it is entered into the database.
(b) The file should be made available so that the individual can
ensure that the data is correct.
Property Issues:
Intellectual Property is the intangible property
created by individuals or corporations which is protected under
copyright, trade secret and patent laws.
A Copyright is a statutory warning that prohibits the
copying of intellectual property without the permission of the
copyright holder. This law protects books, articles, drawings and
other expressions of ideas.
A Copyright normally protects the expression of an
idea but not the idea itself. As a result, others may copy your ideas.
These matters are important because the use of computers have
made the act of copying far easier and more convenient than in the
past.