Security Issues & Ethics in Education By Maud Mushayamunda

Computer Security Computer security risk: Any event or action that has the potential of causing a lost of computer equipment, software, data and information or processing capability. Computer crime: any illegal act involving a computer

Examples of Security Risks A virus is a segment of program code that implants itself in a computer file and spreads. -Virus spread by sharing infected programs -antivirus can identify & help stop virus -3 types of viruses exist: boot sector virus, file viruses, macro viruses

Unauthorized Access & Use -Use of a computer without permission. The person who does this is called a hacker -Hackers usually search for personal information -Provide access control to prevent unauthorized access (User ID, password). -Use creative passwords to make access harder

Firewalls & Hardware/Software Theft A firewall is a security system consisting of hardware/software that prevents unauthorized access A proxy server screens all incoming & outgoing messages A personal firewall is a software program that detects & protects personal computer Firewall Products: Norton, McAfee, ZoneAlarm Pro, BitDefender internet security Theft of hardware can be prevented by installing deadbolt locks Software piracy – the unauthorized use of copyrighted software. Most common form of theft Software license gives you the right to use the software. Use is limited to one purchase. Using same software for another computer (or sharing with someone else) is a federal crime

Backing up – duplicate files System failure – malfunctioning of computer Information theft – use encryption key

Ethics & the Information Age Computer ethics are the moral guidelines that govern the use of computers, networks, & information systems 5 areas: 1. unauthorized use 2.hardware, software & information theft 3. information privacy 4. copyright 5. existence of objectionable materials Fair Use - guidelines to use copyrighted materials (NB: to be safe, assume everything on the Web is copyrighted. Also give credit & use citations)

Phishing & Spam Phishing is a scam in which a perpetrator sends an official-looking that attempts to obtain personal & financial information from the recipient. Spam is an unsolicited message posting sent to many recipients at once

Government Laws Concerning Privacy

Objectionable Materials These are materials that are include racist literature, obscene pictures & videos, gambling, age-restricted items Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) protects children from the above material

Things that can be done to protect students Parents Parental controls Set time limits Allow & block specific programs Control access to games Teachers Observe students closely at all times during computer use

Healthy Computer Uses

Health Issues Green computing – reducing electricity use & paper while using the computer Long time computer use can lead to tendonitis (CTS) – take frequent breaks Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) – sore, tired, itching eyes, headaches, sore neck. (take min eye break, close your eyes for 5 secs)