INTRODUCTION TO THE MORAL & ETHICS

INTRODUCTION TO THE ETHICS

With the widespread usage of IT, Computers, Mobile phones, Internet and other components, there is an increase in misuse (cybercrime) as well. Internet is easy to use and low cost fastest mode of communication. Majority of the people are using it. Ethics identify what is wrong and what is right.

MORAL & ETHICS

Moral: - refers to generally accepted standards of right and wrong in the society. Parents’ guide their children to learn how to behave in the society. For example – do not lie, do not steal …etc. In the cyber world there are also such standard, for example – Do Not make use of pirated CD’s, Do Not use computer for wrong and illegal hacking, stealing of password etc. A set of moral principles which systematically link moral beliefs to each other is called as Moral Theory.

Ethics: - The parents’ guide child to identify what is wrong and what is right and select the right thing. This determination of right and wrong, and following the right behavior, using morals is called as ethics.

ETHICS-CULTURE & ETHICS FOR COMPUTER USERS

It depends on a person how to make appropriate use of any means. Constructive minded people make decent and appropriate use of their knowledge and technology; by thus helping society in most preferred way. Whereas, there can be also people who utilize their knowledge in destructive way for various reasons.

Internet is communication media which is easily accessible and open to all. The word “Cyber Ethics” refers to the code of responsible behavior, one has to demonstrate while using internet. In a way, it is the code of conduct which defines what is right and what is wrong. It can be also termed as “Netiquette” i.e. “Net Etiquette”. As a part of responsible computer user in the society, one shall use the system in ethical and lawful manner.

ETHICS FOR COMPUTER USER

Any ethical computer user should avoid:

1.      Software Piracy

2.      Unauthorized Access

Software Piracy: is nothing but copyright violation of software created originally by individual or institution. It includes stealing of codes/programs and other information illegally and creating the imitated copy by unauthorized means and utilizing this data either for own benefit or for profit making is a violation of copyright act. Piracy is possible in many forms and few most common are duplication of original license copy, distribution and usage of the same.

Types of software piracy include:

·         Borrowing and installing a copy of a software application from a person.

·         Installing more number of copies of the software than authorized number of license copies available.

·         Installing and selling unauthorized copies of software while purchasing new computers.

·         Duplicating and selling copyrighted programs.

·         Downloading software illegally from peer-to-peer network, internet auction or blogs.

Unauthorized written CDs/DVDs for music, various software and utilities etc. are the most commonly observed examples of piracy.

Unauthorized Access: means gaining access without user information. Attempting to get information (like e-mails, bank accounts, intellectual or any other personal and confidential information) from unauthorized person is known as accessing computer system illegally.

Examples of Unauthorized Access are:

·         Hacking Financial / Bank Account related information.

·         Stealing organizational / Intellectual Information.

·         Illegal monitoring of information owned by other users including mails and messaging.

·         Illegal Use / Break of login and password of other users.

·         Causing intentional irritation to other users by means of damaging software and important information.

Security Technologies are used to manage access and prevent unauthorized access. It includes:

·         Firewall

·         Intrusion Detection System (IDS)

·         Virus and Content Scanner

·         Patches and Hotfixes

·         Hardening Operating Systems and Applications

Unauthorized Access can be overcome by:

·         User Vigilance / Monitoring

·         Updating Installed software’s regularly with proper permissions and certifications.

·         Installing patches regularly, released by software companies.

INFORMATION SERVICES

The Ethics for Information Services:

·         Ensuring accuracy and authenticity

·         Properly designed database.

·         Information provided should be complete without doubt.

·         Providing proper security from unauthorized access.

CODE AND GUIDELINES OF ETHICS

Following are the key-points which user should follow as guidelines:

1.      Honesty: As a part of decent behavior (netiquette), user shall always demonstrate the truth while using internet.

2.      Respect: User should respect the privacy of the other users.

3.      Confidentiality: User should keep confidentiality while using internet and not share any information to anybody which will be breach and user should not try to get confidential data of other users.

4.      Professionalism: User should maintain professional conduct and well-mannered approach.

5.      Responsibility: User should take ownership and responsibility of own data on Internet and also should ensure that it contains authenticity and truth.

6.      Communication: User should ensure decent and polite communication with others.

7.      Obeying the Law: User should strictly ensure to obey the law and demonstrate decent internet usage.

When computers first began to be used in society at large, the absence of ethical standards about their use and related issues caused some problems. However, as their use became widespread in every facet of our lives, discussions in computer ethics resulted in some kind of a consensus. Today, many of these rules have been formulated as laws, either national or international. Computer crimes and computer fraud are now common terms. There are laws against them, and everyone is responsible for knowing what constitutes computer crime and computer fraud.

The Ten Commandments of computer ethics have been defined by the Computer Ethics Institute. Here is our interpretation of them:

1.      Thoushalt not use a computer to harm other people: If it is unethical to harm people by making a bomb, for example, it is equally bad to write a program that handles the timing of the bomb. Or, to put it more simply, if it is bad to steal and destroy other people’s books and notebooks, it is equally bad to access and destroy their files.

2.      Thou shalt not interfere with other people's computer work: Computer viruses are small programs that disrupt other people’s computer work by destroying their files, taking huge amounts of computer time or memory, or by simply displaying annoying messages. Generating and consciously spreading computer viruses is unethical.

3.      Thou shalt not snoop around in other people's files: Reading other people’s e-mail messages is as bad as opening and reading their letters: This is invading their privacy. Obtaining other people’s non-public files should be judged the same way as breaking into their rooms and stealing their documents. Text documents on the Internet may be protected by encryption.

4.      Thou shalt not use a computer to steal: Using a computer to break into the accounts of a company or a bank and transferring money should be judged the same way as robbery. It is illegal and there are strict laws against it.

5.      Thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness: The Internet can spread untruth as fast as it can spread truth. Putting out false "information" to the world is bad. For instance, spreading false rumors about a person or false propaganda about historical events is wrong.

6.      Thou shalt not use or copy software for which you have not paid: Software is an intellectual product. In that way, it is like a book: Obtaining illegal copies of copyrighted software is as bad as photocopying a copyrighted book. There are laws against both. Information about the copyright owner can be embedded by a process called watermarking into pictures in the digital format.

7.      Thou shalt not use other people's computer resources without authorization: Multiuser systems use user id’s and passwords to enforce their memory and time allocations, and to safeguard information.  You should not try to bypass this authorization system. Hacking a system to break and bypass the authorization is unethical.

8.      Thou shalt not appropriate other people's intellectual output: For example, the programs you write for the projects assigned in this course are your own intellectual output. Copying somebody else’s program without proper authorization is software piracy and is unethical. Intellectual property is a form of ownership, and may be protected by copyright laws.

9.      Thou shalt think about the social consequences of the program you write: You have to think about computer issues in a more general social framework: Can the program you write be used in a way that is harmful to society? For example, if you are working for an animation house, and are producing animated films for children, you are responsible for their contents. Do the animations include scenes that can be harmful to children? In the United States, the Communications Decency Act was an attempt by lawmakers to ban certain types of content from Internet websites to protect young children from harmful material. That law was struck down because it violated the free speech principles in that country's constitution. The discussion, of course, is going on.

10.  Thou shalt use a computer in ways that show consideration and respect: Just like public buses or banks, people using computer communications systems may find themselves in situations where there is some form of queuing and you have to wait for your turn and generally be nice to other people in the environment. The fact that you cannot see the people you are interacting with does not mean that you can be rude to them.