GCSE ICT: 3.2: Legal, Economic & Political Issues

Bitesize

It is much easier to misuse computer data than paper-based data. If 25 million names and bank details go missing they may be quickly moved around the world, well beyond the legal jurisdiction from which they were lost.

• Easier and quicker to copy computer data
• Harder to spot mistakes, deliberate or otherwise
• Easier to search computer files
• Hackers can access data through security holes across networks
• Easier to combine data from different sources (a simple example is putting someone's head on a different body)

Privacy is important when considering data. It is an individual's right to keep certain aspects of their life private, out of the public domain, for example illness, children or parents. ICT makes it harder to maintain privacy. Mobile devices can be used to record private life and the internet can be used to make images public. Data can be stolen or hacked from networks such as the new health ICT system (Connecting for Health).

Data Protection Act 1998

Bitesize

The Data Protection Act (1998). By this act data users must register with the Information Commissioner. Individuals have the right to:

• view their own data (a small charge is payable to cover costs)
• correct any mistakes in data about them
• prevent distress
• prevent direct marketing
• prevent automatic decisions
• complain to the Information Commissioner
• compensation

Data Protection Principles: data must be:

• processed fairly and lawfully
• obtained for only the specified purposes
• adequate, relevant, not excessive
• accurate and up to date
• not kept any longer than necessary
• processed in accordance with the rights of the data subject
• kept secure
• not transferred to another country unless it has comparable data protection laws

Computer Misuse Act 1990

Bitesize

Examples of computer misuse:

• Hacking
• Copying, transferring, illegal use of data
• copying and/or distributing pirated software, music or films
• Email and chat rooms (stalking, bullying)
• Pornography especially child pornography
• Identity abuse
• Financial abuse or fraud
• Distributing viruses and malware

Offences under the CMA:

• Accessing computer material without permission
• Accessing computer material with intent to commit a further crime
• Altering data e.g. school grades, bank account details, damaging with a virus

To help protect against these: use strong passwords (mix letter case, use numbers, enter password with middle bit missing then add it using the mouse), make regular backups, use anti-virus software

Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

Bitesize

This act protects literary and artistic works against illegal copying. Examples of works include: software, books, films, music. Computers have, especially in the last few years, made it easy to copy materials such as these and there are parts of the world where scarcely any published material was purchased legitimately.

Reference

Hacking and Security

Link

Biometrics

Viruses

Encryption

Cryptography is the study of codes and ciphers. Encryption is the scrambling of plain text so it cannot be read; decryption is converting encrypted text back to plain text. A common use of encryption is 'https' in a web browser - the 's' is for 'secure'. When you send sensitive data across the internet e.g. email, company reports, credit card numbers, it is best to encrypt them so that no one can read them. Hackers are constantly on the lookout for unencrypted data.

Electronic Fraud

This is one type of crime committed with a computer. Examples include:

Changes in Commerce and Industry

Bitesize

Bitesize: Lifestyles

Commerce, or tertiary service industry, has been changed a great deal by the use of computers.

Databases: data was once kept in paper or card filing systems where it was very difficult to summarise and manipulate. Once captured by a computer system data can be made available to anyone (legally or illegally) and it can be processed to reveal information, patterns and trends that would remain hidden in paper-based systems.

Financial trading: money can be made by dealing in stocks and currencies. A tiny and brief change can be exploited by a trading system that is fast enough to react to such changes and money can be made on the difference. The faster a computer system the better the opportunities to make money in such trading so financial organisations compete to have the fastest and most powerful systems.

Changes in Employment

Bitesize

Some people believe, at different points in history, that machine will take away the jobs that people have previously done. Among the first groups to protest were the 'Luddites' of the early 19th century. There is no doubt that machines do take work away from people but the people often find new jobs as economies change and expand. People may have lost their jobs to robots in factories or to filing systems and clever software in offices but many new opportunities have arisen from the invention and development of computers in the workplace: programmers, analysts, technicians, trainers and web site designers to name just a few.

The general direction in employment throughout the industrial age is that it has become more intellectually demanding and the workforce has needed more and more education, skills and training to find good employment. People who lack education, knowledge and skills find it difficult to find god employment and may well blame machines for their lack of success.

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