ACS-1803 Introduction to Information Systems

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ACS-1803Introduction to Information Systems

• Instructor Kerry Augustine

Ethics and Computer Crime Lecture Outline 15
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Principles and Learning Objectives

• Analyze the ethical, social, and political issues
  that are raised by information systems
• Discuss the ethical concerns associated with
  information privacy, accuracy, property, and
  accessibility
• Define computer crime, and list several types of
  computer crime
• Describe the study and future of Applied
  Information Systems

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Personal and Social Impact of Information Systems
Reference Text Pages 407 - 421
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Information Age Terms
Computer Literacy Knowing how to use a computer
to gather, store, organize, and otherwise process
information. These are desirable and even
required for many occupations today
Digital Divide The gap developing in society
between those that are computer literate and have
access to computers and those that dont and how
it will affect them
Computer Ethics The issues and standards of
conduct as they pertain to the use of information
systems including information privacy, accuracy,
property, and accessibility
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Information Privacy and Issues X
Information Privacy concerns what information an
individual must reveal to others in the course of
gaining employment or shopping online Privacy
is the claim of individuals to be left alone,
free from surveillance or interference from other
individuals or organizations including the
Government. Claim to privacy is protected by the
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms In 2000,
in Canada, Personal Information Protection and
Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) However,
privacy can be challenged by the Internet
cookies, spyware
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Other Privacy Concerns X

• Intellectual property rights
• Plagiarism from Internet
• Publishing slanderous information about a person
  on a website
• Etc

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Information Accuracy MC
Information Accuracy Concerned with assuring the
authenticity and fidelity of information, and
identifying those responsible for information
errors that harm people

• Sources of information error
• Errors in computer output can come from two
  primary sources. These are
• Machine Errors errors in the computer program
  logic, communication and/or processing that
  receives, processes, stores, and presents
  information
• Human Errors errors by the person(s) entering
  data or information into the computer system

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Information Accessibility X
Information Accessibility Concerned with defining
what information a person or organization has the
right to obtain about others and how that
information is used

• Who has access?
• Besides personal access, other parties have the
  legal right to access and view private
  information including
• Government using advanced software packages
  (e.g Carnivore), e-mail traffic and all online
  activity can be monitored in real-time or after
  the fact
• Employers they can legally limit, monitor or
  access activities on company-owned computers or
  networks as long as policy has been distributed
  to employees

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The Need for Ethical Behaviour MC

• Ethical Behaviour
• Illegal versus unethical behaviour is an
  information age concern. Though activities are
  not explicitly illegal, questions exist of
  whether they are unethical, such as
• Photograph manipulation/modification in this
  circumstance, the photograph not longer reflects
  absolute reality
• Unauthorized use of computers at work or at
  school, stealing time for personal business or
  use
• Information collection by companies compiling
  information to sell for profit

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Responsible Computer Use X
Guidelines In area of ethics, we rely on
guidelines to guide behaviour. These guidelines
can come from many organizations

• The Computer Ethics Institute developed these
  guidelines for ethical computer use that prohibit
  the following behaviors
• Using a computer to harm others
• Interfering with other peoples computer work
• Snooping in other peoples files
• Using a computer to steal
• Using a computer to bear false witness
• Copying or using proprietary software without
  paying for it
• Using other peoples computer resources without
  authorization or compensation
• Appropriating other peoples intellectual output

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Responsible Computer Use X

• The guidelines from the Computer Ethics Institute
  also recommend the following when creating
  programs or using computers
• Thinking about the social consequences of
  programs you write and systems you design (e.g
  Napster, or a piece of Spyware)
• Using computers in ways that show consideration
  and respect for others (e.g. proliferation of
  viruses, instant messaging, etc.)

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Computer Crimes MC

• Computer Crime
• The act of using a computer to commit an illegal
  act. The broad definition of computer crime can
  include the following
• Targeting a computer while committing an offense
  (e.g gaining entry to a computer system in order
  to cause damage to the computer or the data it
  contains)
• Using a computer to commit and offense
• (e.g. stealing credit card numbers from a
  company database)
• Using computers to support criminal activity
• (e.g. drug dealer using computers to store
  records of illegal transactions)

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Computer Crime Unauthorized Access
Unauthorized Access A person gaining entry to a
computer system for which they have no authority
to use such access THIS IS A COMPUTER CRIME!
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Computer Crimes Who Commits Them? X
Unauthorized Access 1998 Survey of 1600
companies by PricewaterhouseCoopers 82 come
from inside the organization (employees)
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Computer Crimes - Hacking and Cracking MC
Hackers A term to describe unauthorized access to
computers based entirely on a curiosity to learn
as much as possible about computers. It was
originally used to describe MIT students in the
1960s that gained access to mainframes. It was
later used universally used for gaining
unauthorized access for any reason
Crackers A term to describe those who break into
computer systems with the intention of doing
damage or committing crimes. This term was
created because of protests by true hackers
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Computer Crimes Cracker (Humorous)
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Computer Crime Software Piracy X
Software Piracy This practice of buying one copy
and making multiple copies for personal and
commercial use, or for resale is illegal in most
countries while others offer weak or nonexistent
protections. This has become and international
problem as shown below
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Computer Crimes Destructive Code X
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Cyberwar and Cyberterrorism X

• Cyberwar
• An organized attempt by a countrys military to
  disrupt or destroy the information and
  communications systems of another country. Common
  targets include
• Command and control systems
• Intelligence collection and distribution systems
• Information processing and distribution systems
• Tactical communication systems
• Troop and weapon positioning systems
• Friend-or-Foe identification systems
• Smart weapons systems

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Cyberwar and Cyber Terrorism X
Cyberterrorism The use of computer and networking
technologies against persons or property to
intimidate or coerce governments, civilians, or
any segment of society in order to attain
political, religious, or ideological goals

• Responses to the Threat
• At greatest risk are those that depend highly on
  computers and networking infrastructure (i.e.
  governments, utilities, transportation providers,
  etc.) Responses include
• Improved intelligence gathering techniques
• Improved cross-government cooperation
• Providing incentives for industry security
  investment

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Applied Computer Science
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Applied Computer Science Department X

• Implementing an Information Systems pattern,
  and also Health Informatics pattern
• Less technically and programming oriented than
  traditional applied cs
• Courses
• 1805 Introduction to Programming
• 1809 Website Design and Development
• 1903 Programming Fundamentals
• 1803 Intro to Information Systems
• 2814 Applications of Database Systems

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IS Pattern

• More courses
• 2909 Introduction to Internet Programming
• 2913 Software Requirements Analysis and Design
• 2916 Business Application Systems
• 3801 Principles in Information Systems
• 3816 User Interfaces in Information Systems
• 3811 Telecommunications
• 3907 eCommerce
• 3923 Technical Writing

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Health Informatics Pattern

• Information systems as applied to
• Administration
• Delivery
• of health care

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Bus Admin Students

• Can take a selected number of IS courses to add
  to resume
• e.g. major area of concentration Accounting (or
  Marketing) courses taken ltlistgt
• Secondary area of concentration Information
  Systems courses taken Introduction to
  Information Systems (A), ltlist othersgt

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FINALLY

• The End of ACS 1803
• Good Luck on Exams and in Future!!!