Computing Issues that Affect Us All lesson 30 Computing Issues that Affect Us All

This lesson includes the following sections: Computer Crime Computer Viruses Theft Computers and the Environment

Computer Crime Software Piracy Protections from Piracy

Computer Crime - Software Piracy Software piracy – the illegal copying of software programs – is the biggest legal issue affecting the computer industry. Piracy is of greatest concern to developers of commercial software, or programs that must be purchased before using. Piracy is less of a concern for shareware makers, whose programs must be registered but not always purchased. Piracy is not a concern for freeware, which is software that can be freely distributed by anyone.

Computer Crime - Protections from Piracy Various forms of copy protection have been used to discourage piracy, including: Installation diskettes that record the number of times the software is installed. Hardware locks, without which the program cannot function. Passwords, serial numbers, or other codes required for installation.

Computer Viruses Categories of Viruses Preventing Infection

Computer Viruses - Categories of Viruses A virus is a parasitic program that infects another program (the host). Most viruses fall into the following categories: Boot sector viruses Self-encrypting viruses Cluster viruses Self-changing viruses File-infecting viruses Stealth viruses Worms Macro viruses Bombs Joke programs Trojan Horses Bimodal viruses Polymorphic viruses Bipartite viruses Self-garbling viruses Multipartite viruses E-mail viruses Macro viruses

Computer Viruses - Preventing Infection Viruses are spread in several ways. The most common are: Treat all disks as though they are infected. Install an antivirus program and keep its virus definitions (database of virus information) up to date. Run your antivirus program regularly. Receiving an infected disk. Downloading an infected executable file from a network or the Internet. Copying a document file that is infected with a macro virus. To avoid viruses, you should:

Theft Hardware and Software Theft Data Theft Protecting Networks

Theft - Hardware and Software Theft As PCs become smaller – and as more people use laptop and handheld computers – hardware theft is becoming a growing problem. Software theft is also a major problem for companies, many of which must purchase large quantities of expensive software programs. To combat hardware and software theft, many companies are locking hardware to desks and securing software in libraries, granting access to employees only as needed.

Theft - Data Theft Data theft can be far more serious than software or hardware losses, because data can be difficult or impossible to replace. Hackers are a threat to sensitive corporate and government data because they pride themselves on getting around security measures. Organizations can keep hackers at bay by protecting their networks. This can be done by enforcing the use of user IDs and passwords. Data can also be protected through encryption, making it useless to anyone who does not have the encryption key.

Computers and the Environment Planned Obsolescence Use of Power

Computers and the Environment - Planned Obsolescence Because hardware and software products become obsolete after a given time, older systems are disposed of in large numbers. Large-scale disposals add to the clogging of landfills and pollution. To reduce these problems, organizations can download software from the Internet (reducing the number of disks and manuals used). Hardware can be recycled or donated to charities or schools.

Computers and the Environment - Use of Power Many people leave their computers running continuously, whether in use or not. This consumes power unnecessarily. To solve this problem, you can use a "green PC," which automatically powers down the monitor and hard drive after a period of non-use. Another way to conserve energy is to use hardware that conforms to the EPA's "Energy Star" program, which sets standards for power consumption.

lesson 30 review Define software piracy and explain why it is illegal. Name two ways in which computer viruses can be spread. Describe two methods used to protect networks from hackers.