Course work portfolio

Assignment 1: draft
Text type: informative
Topic: Use and abuse of computers
Name: Rishi Patel
Computer is an electronic device. It is used for storing and analyzing
information that is fed into it. It is also used for calculating, or for controlling
machinery automatically. It is a very flexible gadget, which can be used in a
wide variety of ways, depending on the requirement and available resources.
Microprocessors on small chips control various home appliances. They do
automatic fine-tuning and color regulating on television sets and even other
household gadgets. In offices, computer is used to maintain records, files,
prepare payrolls apart from performing various other functions. In hospital,
computer is used to diagnose diseases. It helps in carrying out surgeries. Lot of
information is available today through computers via use of Internet.
Availability of computer and Internet is not a big issue these days. Many people
misuse the computer resources. Some people misuse the computer knowingly
and some people unknowingly misuse the law. Misuse of computers and
communications systems is done in various forms.

Hacking- when an unauthorized person uses a network connection to gain

access past security passwords or other security to see data stored on another
computer, it is known as hacking. Sometimes hackers use software hacking
tools and often target particular sites on the Internet or particular accounts of
some people to extract data and misuse them for their advantage.

Data misuse and unauthorized transfer or copying - Copying and illegal transfer
of data has become very easy using online computers and large storage devices
such as hard disks, memory sticks and DVDs. Personal data, company research
and written work, such as novels and textbooks cannot be copied without the
copyright holder's permission.
Copying and distributing copyrighted software, music and film - Copying music
and movies with computer equipment and distributing it on the Internet without
the copyright holder's permission is another widespread misuse of computers
and the Internet.
Email and chat room abuses -Internet services such as chat rooms and
emails have been exposed to fake identities where people who are online
pretend to have a different identity try to trap genuine users of emails and chat
rooms for spams and other wrong reasons.

Pornography - A lot of offensive material and pornography is available through

the Internet and can be stored in electronic form. These are illegal acts and if
found stored in computers can follow legal action.

Identity and financial abuses Financial frauds are on the rise these days.
Stolen credit cards or fictional credit card numbers are used to purchase goods
and services online.
Viruses- Viruses are simple programs written by people and designed to cause
trouble or damage to computers or their files.

The Computer Misuse Act (1990)

This was passed by Parliament and made three new offences:
1. Accessing computer material of other people without permission is an
offence.
2. Accessing computer material without permission with intent to commit
further criminal offences, eg Hacking bank accounts etc.
3. Altering computer data without permission.
4. The Data Protection Act - This was introduced to regulate personal data.
This helps to provide protection against the abuse of personal information.
5. Copyright law -This provides protection to the owners and covers the
copying of written, musical, or film works using computers.
6. Close down chat rooms - have been closed down due to abuses, especially
where children are vulnerable.
7. Reduce email spamming -This may be reduced by:
Never replying to anonymous emails
Setting filters on email accounts
Reporting spammers to Internet Service Providers.
 Governments passing laws to punish persistent spammers with
heavy fines
8. Regular backups and security -Just making something illegal or setting up
regulations does not stop it happening. Responsible computer users need to
take reasonable steps to keep their data safe. This includes regular
backups and sufficient security with passwords.

Bibliography
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