Executive summary
The ever increasing use of computer based information system and internet in the personal, professional and commercial segments is accompanied by relevant collateral issues relating to privacy, security, and ethics as regards use of the system. The privacy and security issues mainly stem from two elements; advancement in information technology that makes privacy and security of information vulnerable to breaches, and inability of the service providers to adequately protect information and data.
During 1970s Walter Maner introduced the term ‘computer ethics’ in order to define ethical problems aggravated, transformed, and created by information technology (Joshi, 2015).
This paper is a humble attempt to discuss the privacy, security, and ethical issues conjoined with use of computer and internet. Accordingly, the write up is divided among the three issues followed by a conclusion.
Executive summary p2
Introduction p4
Privacy Issues p4
Security Issues p5
Ethical Issues p8
Conclusion p10
References p11
Introduction
Previously information was a concern for business houses where the nature of business demanded security for the information. Today with the set in of information society era, use of information technology is widespread and the privacy, security and ethical issues relating to the use of computer technology and internet play very crucial roles in the everyday life of the modern people. Today most of the works beginning from job searching, applying for jobs to online shopping are done through internet. Thus personal information is put into the internet more frequently than before and with this comes threat of hacking personal information and identity. Online security has thus become a matter of major concern for the users of internet. As per report of Bob Sulivan, a MSNBC.com reporter a number of personal information like date of birth, driving license number, social security number and credit card information were posted in the chat room that resulted in fraudulent financial transactions on the personal accounts of many individuals (Cullom, 2001).
Privacy Issues
The privacy issues in internet use stems from the desire of individuals and organizations to have adequate control over their personal information and data. Use of advanced information technology by unscrupulous elements is of serious concern as regards safety and security of personal information. This concern has motivated IT researchers to explore various privacy issues as well as finding out technological solution to those issues (Belanger, 2011).
Use of internet raises two kinds of privacy issues. Firstly, there is chance of privacy violation when personal information is aggregated and posted on internet. The information in the website contains lots of personal information which is publicly available without the information provider knowing to whom the information is passed. Such information includes personal phone number, credit card details, driving license number, pictures, video clippings, etc. An ill-intentioned internet user can use search engine to locate such information and collate necessary information to create composite records of the intended persons. The pertinent issue here is whether consent of the person is required while posting his personal information or while using that information for any purposes what so ever. Secondly, there are issues relating to monitoring of internet users. The internet users are connected to the internet in the course of using the internet. This connection can be exploited by any third party to collect and collate information about the users keeping the users in the dark. Online privacy risks are hidden in the cookies, profiling and tracking, and spyware. Cookies are used by the servers for authentication, tracking, and maintaining specific information about the user. The browsing behavior of the user can be easily recorded by the server by profiling and tracking. Spywares are malicious computer programs used collect information from the personal computer of the user and passing that information to unscrupulous third party. In addition to these there are chances that disgruntled employees, security agencies and internet service providers can intercept private emails (Bennet, 2011).
Security Issues
The security issues arise from five types of computer crime; theft, fraud, copyright infringement, and attacks. Theft as a computer crime refers to removing physical items like hardware from the computer by an unknown person and without authorization and removing or copying personal information without knowledge of the user. Laptop computers are often target of lifters in airports and restaurants as they contain information such as passwords.
Fraud through internet may take the form of offering credit cards with the intention of acquiring personal information, posting investment offers with attractive features to encourage investing in fake investment company, postings in pharmaceutical sites with the intention to sell alternative medicines with the hidden agenda of forfeiting money.
One of the greatest curse of internet is rampant infringement of copyright. Copyright infringement takes place with the use of software, music, etc. that are acquired in an illicit manner. The ease in uploading and downloading files from anywhere in the world has rendered software piracy a commonplace crime. Another glaring example of copyright infringement is posting logos and trademarks of established companies on non-authorized websites. This infringement is done by criminals to perpetrate large scale fraud.
Attacks on individual or organizational information system take the form of attacks on individuals, websites or products by individuals or groups. Proctor and Gamble was attacked as an occult organization.
Apart from the above mentioned security risks there are another set of activities that can technologically harm the information system. Perpetrators of such crimes are liable to be prosecuted under various cybercrime statutes. These criminal activities are categorized as viruses, worms, Trojan horse, time bomb, logic bomb, and trapdoors.
Virus is a computer program that is attached to data files with the intention to damage the computer system. The virus copies itself with execution of the infected file. Virus infected files are capable of erasing saved files, damaging data, erasing hard drive, and even creating sounds. Downloaded word or excel documents may have hidden viruses. Some viruses can also be programmed for execution on a particular date or at a particular time. Viruses are not capable of damaging hardware. Virus protection software may be installed on contract basis in order to protect the computer from virus attacks.
Worm is another kind of computer program intended to disturb the information system. Worm cannot spread from files to files but it can spread from one computer to another. In the past Internet Information System (IIS), part of MS Windows server operating system and a number of websites including federal government websites have been victims of worm attacks. Worm is capable of destroying File Allocation System, and other files system on the hard drive. Worms are considered to have more damaging potentiality than viruses.
Trojan horse is a software that derives its name from Greek mythology in which war between the Greeks and the Trojan of Troy is described. The mythology says that during the war Greeks pretended to leave the city of Troy but left behind a huge wooden horse. Greek warriors hid inside the wooden horse who eventually captured Troy. Similarly, the Trojan horse software basically plays trick with the user. While a file is being downloaded by the user on the keyboard, in reality the Trojan horse software is supposed to perform some destructive activities. The perpetrator of the crime uses Trojan horse to load software program to be utilized later or to steal password, credit card and other information of the user saved in the system. That stolen information then are used to perpetrate another crime. A lethal Trojan horse software, called Trojan Offensive is reported to have capacity to damage registry of the Windows operating system by which the operating system is rendered trash.
Time bomb is a software that is so designed as to execute the attack on a predetermined date and time. This software cannot spread but damages the system at a specified time.
Logic bomb is another kind of software attack which is triggered by a predetermined event. The billing system of a firm may become dysfunctional as soon as an employee is laid off and his employee ID number ceases to be on the payroll database.
Trapdoors are intended to compromise the security system. These are hidden logins developed by unscrupulous system developers. By using trapdoor an unauthorized person can have control over the computer system.
Ethical Issues
Ethics are defined as standard of moral conduct. Ethics determine the standards for judging right or wrong behavior. It is used to gauge personal integrity and the basis of trust and cooperation in matters of relationship with others (Petkovic and Jonker, 2014).
Computer ethics primarily relate to the responsibilities of the computer user, and other public policy related ethical issues as regards development and use of information technology. Computer ethics deal with such questions as; whether corporate houses are morally permissible to intercept private emails of their employees? Is a user morally right in copying copyrighted software? Is it morally right to upload or download pornographic stuff in the absence of censorship? Moral or ethical analysis is required to clarify the dilemmas contained in these issues and provide probable solution to them.
Computer ethics is a set of moral principles that must be adhered to by the computer and internet users in order to ethically use the system. It defines the universally accepted behavior in using computers. Violation of copyright is the most common ethical issue in this regard. Using copyrighted content without the permission of the author, collecting personal information of a user without any authority to do so, uploading child pornography are some of the acts that violate ethical principles governing computer and internet use. It is necessary for the internet users to understand that internet is not only a part of the society rather today it is an important component of it. It must be upheld that internet is a domain where values are considered in the broadest sense and this fact must be taken in to account by the internet users as well as the system developers. Internet belongs to the word community at large cutting across age, gender, culture, language, and nationalities. Internet cannot be subject to one set of values rather it must accommodate multiple usages.
Users must restrain from sharing personal information like residential address, phone number, passwords, personal interests, photographs, etc. with strangers as those may be misused by the said strangers. Internet can be used to enjoy music and watch videos. But the user must not be provoked to download and share copyrighted materials. Importance of copyright must be recognized by the users.
Some ethical rules for computer users are enumerated below;
i. Computers must not be used to harm others.
ii. Computers should not be used to steal information.
iii. Computers should not be used to access files without consent of the author.
iv. Computers should not be used to copy copyrighted materials without the consent of the owner.
v. Copyright laws must be respected.
vi. Privacy of other users must be respected.
Conclusion
It emerges from the aforesaid discussion that privacy is a moral right of a user. The importance of privacy and the role of information technology in impacting privacy has been explained. Although computer security does not confer any moral right to the user, it has been explained why computer security needs to be maintained to protect interests of all concerned. Finally, ethical issues and necessity to adhere to certain ethical principles in order to ensure responsible use of internet have been discussed. Healthy and productive use of computers and internet can be ensured when the privacy, security, and ethical issues are clearly understood and respected by the internet users and system developers.
References
Bellanger, F. (2011) Privacy in the digital age: a review of information privacy research in information systems, Society for Information Management and The Management Information Systems Research Center, vol. 35(4), pp. 1017 – 1042
Bennett, C. (2011) Cookies, Web Bugs, Webcams and Cue Cats: Patterns of Surveillance on the World Wide Web. Ethics and Information Technology vol. 3(3), pp. 195 – 208
Cullom, C. (2001) Computer Crime, Vulnerabilities of Information Systems, and Managing Risks of Technology Vulnerabilities. Retrieved from http://www.profhelp.com/crime/computercrime.pdf
Joshi, A. G. (2015) Ethics in Internet. Retrieved from http://icmr.nic.in/bioethics/cc_biothics/presentations/sym_pune/For%20PGs/Ethical%20Issues%20in%20Internet%20Use.pdf
Petkovic, M and Jonker, W. (2014) Security, privacy and trust in modern data management. Retrieved from https://books.google.co.in/books?id=Tca3vVbnRc0C&pg=PA22&lpg=PA22&dq=privacy,+security+and+ethical+issues+in+computer+science&source=bl&ots=OISBLSxTG-&sig=n19oXa8lBuR0ZKzULLWXBCKaIIY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiH9ZWPguLNAhUKq48KHSDlDfA4ChDoAQg-MAU#v=onepage&q=privacy%2C%20security%20and%20ethical%20issues%20in%20computer%20science&f=false
