Ethics in Computing
The Finer Details
Welcome
Computer systems are highly technical but it is not just the engineering aspects of a system that matters - designers and users have to consider the ethics, the environmental and legal aspects of a computer system as well.
This flyer will teach you all that you would wish to know about the kind of Ethics that would be present in the world of Computing. Enjoy
Computer Misuse Act 1990
This lead a lot of companies losing a lot of hard earned money and there trade secrets. And a lot of innocent civilians lost there bank details and other vital information. #
In order to counter-act this misuse, they government passed the 'Computer Misuse Act' in 1990. It created three new offenses:
- Unauthorized access to computer material
- Unauthorized access with intent to commit a crime
- Unauthorized modification of computer material
Copyright, Design and Patents Act
Material that has taken someone a lot of effort and creative talent to produce, is called 'Intellectual Property'.
It is only right that the owners of that material benefit financially from their effort should they wish to do so. Therefore parliament has passed an Act to help protect their intellectual property rights.
It is called the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act.
Computer systems have been heavily involved with this Act because they make it possible for people to easily access copyright material - both legally and illegally.
Typical breaches of the CDP Act (involving computer systems) are :
- Using unlicensed software
- Downloading music from sites that don't have the rights to sell that music
- Copying someone else's work and passing it off as your own
Data Protection Act
Computer systems now hold personal information on millions of people. And this needs to be protected as much as possible so that it stays private and is used properly by those who gathered it.
The Data Protection Act was passed to make this matter a law. Therefore protecting the details of millions and millions of people across the country from people with ill means.