TMX1022 ICT Competency

Learning Unit 8: Computer Security, Privacy and

Ethics
Semester 2, 2015/2016

Learning Outcomes
By the end of this unit, students will be able to:
Explain the concept of computer security and ethics
Identify the types of threats and the measures to
protect the computer from those threats
Discuss security measures for common security issues
Explain the concept of privacy, intellectual property
and copyrights
Apply proper security and ethical steps in daily
computing
Demonstrate the best practices of netiquettes online

OUTLINE
What is Computer Security?
What are types of threats?
How can we protect our computer
from these threats?
What are Privacy, Ethics and
Netiquettes ?

What is Computer
Security?
Techniques for ensuring that data stored in
a computer cannot be read or compromised
by any individuals without authorization

(Retrieved from www.webopedia.com)

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What are the common

threats of security?

Common Threats
Human Errors
Accidentally deleting data
Physically damaging the computer

Theft
Physical theft -Steal the computer or its
component
Virtual theft-Stealing and assuming other persons
identity without consent and also software piracy

Malware
Malware or malicious code (malcode) is short for
malicious software.
It is code or software that is specifically designed to
damage, disrupt, steal, or inflict some other bad
or illegitimate action on data, hosts, or networks.
Three of the most common types of malware:
Viruses
Worms
Trojan

Viruses
A computer virus is a type of malware
that propagates by inserting a copy of
itself into and becoming part of
another program.
It spreads from one computer to
another, leaving infections as it
travels.
Almost all viruses exists in executable
file.
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 Viruses spread when the software or

document they are attached to is
transferred from one computer to
another using the network, a disk,
file sharing, or infected e-mail
attachments.

Worms
Computer worms are similar to
viruses
they replicate functional copies of
themselves
can cause the same type of damage.

worms are standalone software

do not require a host program or human
help to propagate.
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Trojan
another type of malware named after
the wooden horse the Greeks used to
infiltrate Troy.
It is a harmful piece of software that
looks legitimate.
Trojans do not reproduce by infecting
other files nor do they self-replicate.

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 Trojans must spread through user

interaction such as opening an e-mail
attachment or downloading and
running a file from the Internet.

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What are the security

measures to overcome
these threats ?

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Security Measures
Never start a computer with
removable media inserted in the
drives or plugged in the ports, unless
the media are uninfected.
Never open an e-mail attachment
unless you are expecting it and it is
from a trusted source
Install a personal firewall program
Stay informed about the new virus
alerts and virus hoaxes

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Macro Security Settings

Set the macro security in programs
so that you can enable or disable
macros.
Enable macros only if the document
is from a trusted source and you are
expecting it.

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Antivirus Software
Install an antivirus program on all of
your computers.
Update the software regularly
Scan all downloaded programs for
viruses and other malware
If the antivirus program flags an email attachment as infected, delete
or quarantine the attachment
immediately
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What are Privacy, Ethics

and Netiquettes?

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Internet Privacy
Internet privacy or online privacy
covers the right of a person to have a
"private space" or personal privacy in
terms of storing or displaying of
information pertaining to oneself on
the Internet.
It is the control of what a person can
share online.
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Intellectual Property
intangible property that is the result of
creativity, such as patents, copyrights, etc.
IP is more difficult to be protected.
IP cannot be simply recovered if it is stolen.
It will take more efforts to to protect an IP.
It would be hard for you to know it until
someone else reports it to you or your
discover it online.

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Copyrights
a legal right that allows thecreator
of an original work to have the
exclusive rights to its use and
distribution, usually for a limited time
Copyrighted works or
materialswhich are stolen and
reproduced are known as "piracy" or
"plagiarism".
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Creative Commons
Creative Commons is established
toallow creators to communicate
which rights they reserve, and which
rights they waive for the benefit of
recipients or other creators.
It isnot as strict as copyrights.

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Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the practice of taking
someone else's work or ideas and
passing them off as one's own
This happens when you copied
someone's work or idea without
acknowledging or getting the
permission from the original author

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Computer Ethics
Ethics is a set of moral principles that
govern the behavior of a group or
individual.
Computer ethics is set of moral
principles that regulate the use of
computers.

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Situations that require ethical

decision

Software copyrights
privacy
conflict of interest
use of work computers
software quality
hacking
social responsibility
KCEA 2009: Computation Thinking

 Confidentiality: Obligation not to

disclose willingly any information
that should be kept private.
Personal use of employers
equipment and computer facilities
could lead to a conflict of interest.

Unit 5: Information Systems

How do I make ethical

decisions?
Take time to think of the situation and
consequences before making a
decision
Gather relevant information from
reliable sources.
Talk to people whose judgement your
respect
Consult a guidelines or code of
professional ethics
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Netiquettes
Online jargon for Internet etiquette
A series of customs or guidelines for
maintaining civilized and effective
communications in online
discussions and e-mail exchanges

Principles of Netiquette
Put a meaningful title on the subject
line
Use uppercase and lowercase letters
Check spelling
Be careful what you send
Be polite

 Be cautious when using sarcasm and

humor
Notify recipients of viruses
Use smiley and text messaging
shorthand cautiously
Use the Bcc function for group
mailings
Dont send replies to all recipients.
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