C o d e o f

ET H I CS

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What is ETHICS?

Values or morals
which are used to
base one's decisions
or actions
What is Computer Ethics?
Computer Ethics
 a branch of practical philosophy
 deals with how computing professionals
should make decisions regarding
professional and social conduct
 Example:
▪ accessing someone’s personal information on a computer system is
unethical
Areas of Computer Ethics
There are three major areas which come under the
umbrella of computer ethics:

i. Intellectual property
ii. Netiquette
iii. Day-to-day Ethics
 Intellectual property
refers to creations of the mind…

inventions Symbols
literary &
artistic works

names images
designs used
in commerce
 Intellectual Property
Categories

1.Industrial property
 includes inventions (patents),
trademarks, industrial designs,
commercial names, etc.
 Intellectual Property
Categories

2.Copyright
 includes literary and artistic works
such as novels, poems and plays,
films, musical works, artistic works
such as drawings, paintings,
photographs, sculptures, and
architectural designs.
 Intellectual Property
Categories

Copyright owners have the rights to:

 reproduce it
 prepare derivative works based upon it
 distribute copies of it to the public
 perform the work publicly (if applicable)
 display the work publicly
Copyright protection
 Copyright Law protects only the form
of expressions of ideas, not the ideas
themselves
 A created work is considered protected
as soon as it exists, and
 A public register of copyright protected
work is NOT necessary.
 Netiquette
 It is about proper ways in which to use a
network and to determine whether
information is reliable; while emphasizing
four important points:
Real people exists behind the computers
Protect your privacy
Avoid spamming (sending unwanted/junk email)
Help make the network better
Real people exists behind the computers

 You are dealing with people, not machines.

So think twice before you click on Send
button in the mail/chat window
Protect your privacy

 Protect your personal information to keep

someone from using it in an unethical way.
Avoid spamming
 Spamming is morally bad if it is intended to
destroy and done by infringing on the right of
privacy of others.
Help make the network better

 The existence of the information society is

based on give and take.
 Making a contribution is an essential part of
being a good network user.
 Day-to-day Ethics
 All of us might have known these ethics
already, because these are just modified forms
of ethics told to us by our
grandparents/parents, like don’t open letters
of others, don’t copy the home-work from
others, don’t listen to any conversation
secretly etc.
 Day-to-day Ethics
 SOFTWARE PIRACY
 CREATION OF COMPUTER VIRUSES
 PLAGIARISM
 HACKING - means illegally accessing other people's
computer systems for destroying, disrupting or
carrying out illegal activities on the network or
computer systems.
 FILE PRIVACY
 Day-to-day Ethics
 COMPUTER ABUSE
a) Denial Of Service. In a denial-of-service
(DoS) attack, an attacker attempts to
prevent legitimate users from accessing
information or services.
b) Spam is the use of electronic messaging
systems to send unsolicited bulk
messages, especially advertising,
indiscriminately.
 Day-to-day Ethics
COMPUTER ABUSE(cont.)
c) Phishing is the act of attempting to acquire
information such as usernames, passwords,
and credit card details (and sometimes,
indirectly, money) by masquerading as a
trustworthy entity in an electronic
communication.
d) Computer Virus
- virus, worm & Trojan horses (are programs that claim
to do one thing but really do another)
Read at Home
“Top 10 of the worst
computer viruses to
cripple a computer
system”