2. OUTLINES
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Virtual Society
5.3 Issues and Ethics in IT
5.4 Computer Crimes
5.5 Computer Viruses and Worms
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3. 5.1 INTRODUCTION
In an information society, the focus of commerce becomes the generation and
distribution of information.
A technology revolution is changing our way of life; the way we live, work,
and play.
The cornerstone of this revolution, the computer, is transforming the way we
communicate, do business, and learn and an explosion of computing advances
is speeding this change.
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4. 5.2 VIRTUAL SOCIETY
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A virtual society refers to an online community or network where individuals
interact, communicate, and engage in various activities through digital
platforms.
It is a space where people from different backgrounds come together virtually to
connect, share ideas, collaborate, and build relationships.
In a virtual society, individuals can participate in discussions, join interest groups,
play games, attend virtual events, and more, all within an online environment
5. … VIRTUAL SOCIETY
In Digital technology, there are 3 ways a computer system can verify whether
the user have authorized right of access.
What you have? such as a smart card.
What you know? Such as password.
What you are? such as fingerprint, voice, face recognition etc.
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6. …VIRTUAL SOCIETY
Authentication mechanism are used to satisfy the user that entities, people, data, applications
or computers are actually what they claim to be.
One of the most commonly used mechanism for authenticating people has been the password.
Passwords are expected to be known only by the owner.
However, passwords can be guesses or learnt by intruders through interception of
communications networks or re-use of encrypted passwords.
Re-use of passwords can be prevented by time stamping or by using passwords only once.6
7. VIRTUAL IDENTITY
Virtual identity refers to the online representation of an individual or entity in the digital
world.
Virtual identities can include usernames, profiles, or any other form of online representation
that distinguishes an individual in the online realm.
Identification theft: stealing your good name – TOI – Theft of Identity – is a crime in which
thieves hijack your Name and identity and use your good credit rating to get cash .
To do these, what they need is simply knowing your individual credentials such as full name
and social security number.
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8. VIRTUAL UNIVERSITY
Distance learning is the use of computer and/or video networks to teach courses
to students outside the conventional classroom.
Until recently, distance learning has been largely outside the mainstream of
campus life.
That is, it concentrates principally on part time students, those who cannot easily
travel to campus, those interested in noncredit classes, or those seeking special
courses in business or engineering.
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9. VIRTUAL SUPER MARKET
We can view items by category [snack foods], item [cookies], or by brand and pursue items
on sale.
We can request that items be arranged alphabetically by brand, price per unit, package size,
or we can even request a listing by nutritional value.
In the minds of the busy people who shop online, the cost of the e-service is easily offset by
other savings [better prices, less spent on travel and so on].
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10. VIRTUAL OFFICE
Now big foreign companies are eliminating office and allowing employees to work from
any location they choose.
Virtual offices are possible because of cellular telephones, fax machines, portable
computers, and other mobile computing and communication devices.
Virtual offices helps to:
To reduce office space
Eliminate office infrastructure and cost
Eliminate real estate costs
Eliminate unwanted traveling time to office 10
11. 5.3 ISSUES AND ETHICS IN IT
Issues in IT can be classified into four categories such as:
Security issue
Quality of Life issue
Economical Issue
Privacy issue
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12. ETHICS
Ethics can be defined as a branch of philosophy dealings with the determination
of what is right or wrong, good or bad.
Simply if we define” ethics are moral standards that help to guide, behavior,
actions, and choices.
Ethics are grounded in the notion of responsibility and accountability.
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13. ETHICS IN AN INFORMATION SOCIETY
Basic concepts of ethics are:
Responsibility
Accepting the potential costs, duties and obligations for the decisions one makes
Accountability
The mechanisms for assessing responsibility for decisions made and actions taken
Liability
The existence of laws that permit individuals to recover the damages done to them by other
Due process
A process in which laws are well known and understood and there is an ability to appeal to
higher authorities to ensure that laws are applied correctly.
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14. 5.4 COMPUTER CRIMES
The term computer crime includes any unauthorized use of a computer
system including software piracy or theft of system resources for personal
use including computer processing time and network access time.
Actions intended to alter data and programs or to damage or destroy data,
software, or equipment is also crimes.
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15. COMMON TYPES OF COMPUTER CRIMES
DATA DIDLING Changing data and information before they enter a system
DATA LEAKAGE Erasing or removing data and files from a system without indicating that they were
removed or leaving any trace, they ever existed.
LOGIC BOMB A program designed to execute when certain conditions occur. Designed to
sabotage system data, programs or processing [refer time bomb]
TIME BOMB A program designed to execute on a specific date and time. The program monitors
the computer’s internal clock or calendar. When the preset date arrives, the
program comes to life causing its damage.
TRAPDOOR An illicit and unknown point of entry into a program or network that can be used to
gain access to the system
TROJAN HORSE A program that appears to do one thing, but actually does something very
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16. COMPUTER CRIMES….
All these crimes are committed through intrusion, forced and unauthorized
entry into the system.
Computer crime through intrusion can occur by following ways:
Hackers
Crackers
Viruses
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17. COMPUTER CRIMES----
Hackers
A hacker is a person who gains access to a system illegally.
Hackers usually gain access to a system through a network, but sometimes they will physically
enter a computer or network facility.
Techniques helpful in deterring intrusion by hackers
Change access passwords frequently
Allow workers access to only the system functions they need to use
Permit workers to access only the data that they need to use
Encrypt data by scrambling or coding information.
Keep staff well informed through education programs
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18. COMPUTER CRIMES ---
Crackers
Crackers also gain unauthorized access to information technology but do so for
malicious purposes.
Crackers attempt to break into computers and deliberately obtain information
for financial gain, shut down hardware, pirate software, destroy and etc.
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19. HACKERS VS CRACKERS
In the context of computer security, hackers and crackers are often used interchangeably, but
they can have slightly different connotations.
Generally, hackers refer to individuals who have advanced technical skills and knowledge in
computer systems and networks.
Black hat hackers are individuals who engage in unethical and illegal activities related to
computer security.
Ethical hackers, also known as white-hat hackers, work to enhance security and protect
systems from potential threats.
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20. HACKERS VS CRACKERS….
On the other hand, crackers are individuals who use their technical skills for
malicious purposes.
Crackers are often associated with illegal activities, such as identity theft,
financial fraud, or spreading malware.
It's important to note that not all hackers are crackers, as hacking itself is a
neutral term that can be used for both good and bad purposes.
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21. 5. 5 COMPUTER VIRUSES AND WORMS
VIRUS: A hidden program that alters, without the user’s knowledge the way a
computer operates or modifies the data and program stored on the computer.
Computer intrusion occurs by way of software in the name of virus.
Each virus has its own characteristics its own signature.
Some destroy irreplaceable data.
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22. …COMPUTER VIRUSES AND WORMS
A virus is a typical program that attaches itself to a computer system and destroys or corrupts
data.
Viruses are passed in three ways
By diskette [copying ]
By network [data sharing]
By internet [ e-mail ]
Some worms erase, destroy, and change the data.
WORMS: A Worm is a program that copies itself repeatedly into memory or on to a disk
drive until no more space is left. 22
23. VIRUSES VS WORMS
Viruses and worms are both types of malicious software (malware), but they differ in
how they spread and operate.
A virus is a type of malware that attaches itself to a host file or program and replicates
when that file or program is executed.
Viruses often need human action to spread, such as executing an infected file or
opening an infected email attachment.
On the other hand, worms are standalone malware programs that can replicate and
spread independently without needing to attach themselves to other files or programs.
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24. VIRUSES VS WORMS…
In summary, viruses need a host file or program to replicate and spread,
while worms are self-contained and can spread independently.
Both viruses and worms can cause significant damage to computer systems
and networks if not detected and mitigated in a timely manner.
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25. METHODS OF VIRUS DETECTION
All types of computers are vulnerable to viruses.
To protect against them, companies must buy and use virus detection software. There are
three methods of virus detection.
Scanning programs – search the computer and main memory to detect a virus
Detection Programs – monitor processing activities and signal the user when a virus tries to
infect the system
Digital signature encryption – uses a mathematical coding scheme designed to foil a virus’s
attempt to attack programs and data. 25