1. 11/9: Ethics in IT: Computer Crime
General
Computers as instruments of crime:
Theft, fraud, & abuse
Computers as objects of crime:
Software piracy, information theft

2. Computer Crime
“Any illegal activity using computer software, data, or access as the object, subject, or instrument of the crime”

3. Theft: Fraud & Abuse
Trojan horses: “insertion of false information into a program to profit from its outcome”
Logic & time bombs: inserting time- or event-triggered code into programs maliciously

4. Theft: Fraud & Abuse Salami-slicing: little bits of theft that add up
Spoofing: mimicking a valid program or routine for the purpose of diverting the information given by the user
Data diddling: swapping one piece of information for another of the same type. EX: diverting charges

5. Intellectual Property Theft
Plagiarism
Copyrights
Fair use
Public domain
Software piracy
Information theft: privacy issues

6. Software Piracy
“The unauthorized copying or use of software for which you have not paid the appropriate licensing fee”
Estimate: $11 billion/year lost to piracy
In early 1990s, Lotus estimated that half of its revenue was lost per year to software piracy
Estimate: 2 of 5 pieces of software are pirated
Called by some to be a “victimless crime”

7. Software Piracy: 1995 Losers & Users
TOP LOSERS
TOP USERS
Revenues lost by software publishers in billions
Percentage of illegally acquired software
Japan
$1.31
China
98%
United States
$1.05
Russia
95%
France
$0.48
Thailand
92%
Italy
$0.26
India & Pakistan
87%
UK & Ireland
$0.24
Czech & Slovak Reps
84%
1995 World Total
$8.08
World Average
49%
source: Fortune magazine, July 10, 1995

8. Software Piracy: 1998 Losers & Users
TOP LOSERS
TOP USERS
Revenues lost by software publishers in billions
Percentage of illegally acquired software
United States
$2.9
Vietnam
97%
China
$1.2
95%
Japan
$0.60
Indonesia
92%
Germany
$0.48
Russia
UK & Ireland
$0.46
Bulgaria
90%
1998 World Total
$11.0
World Average
38%
source: BSA at

9. Privacy Issues Electronic supervision
Estimated that over 20% of is read by employers
Defense: contracts, ownership of equipment
Credit bureaus, banks, corporations, and government agencies often willingly, easily release your information
DMV and mailing lists

10. How to Protect Yourself
Don’t easily give information to others
Passwords: Words to NOT use
family & pet names, birth dates, holiday dates, SSN numbers, “cuties”: money, sex, taxes, love, genius
Change passwords periodically
Don’t use the same password everywhere
Cryptography