Introduction to Information Technology: Your Digital World

Using Information Technology, 10e

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 Introduction to Information Technology: Your Digital World

Chapter Topics
9.1 Truth Issues: Manipulating
Digital Data
9.2 Security Issues: Threats to Computers
& Communications Systems
9.3 Security Safeguards: Protecting Computers &
Communications
9.4 Quality-of-Life Issues: The Environment, Mental
Health, Child Protection, & the Workplace
9.5 Economic & Political Issues: Employment & the
Haves/Have Nots
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 Introduction to Information Technology: Your Digital World

9.1 Truth Issues

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 Introduction to Information Technology: Your Digital World

• Digital sound and images can be manipulated

• Pros:
• Creates new forms of art
• Digital technology allows musicians to sing every track
of a song and accompany themselves
• Morphing software makes one image morph into
another
• Movie special effects are made possible
• Adobe Photoshop allows changes, enhancements to
photos
(Adobe Photoshop)
• Cons:
• Has made “recordings” (sound manipulation) and
photographs (photo manipulation) untrustworthy
• “News” can be faked
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 Introduction to Information Technology: Your Digital World

9.2 Security Issues

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 Introduction to Information Technology: Your Digital World

• Errors and Accidents

• Human errors
• Humans often are not good at assessing their own
information
• Human emotions affect performance; people get
frustrated
• Human perceptions are slower than the equipment
• Information overload may also be a problem

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 Introduction to Information Technology: Your Digital World

• Errors and Accidents (continued)

• Procedural errors
• When people fail to follow established procedures,
errors can occur
• Software errors
• Software bug: an error in a program that causes it not
to work properly
• “Dirty data” problems
• Incomplete, outdated, or otherwise inaccurate data

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 I Introduction to Information Technology: Your Digital World

(Garbage In,
GIGO
Garbage Out)

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 Introduction to Information Technology: Your Digital World

• Errors and Accidents (continued)

• Electromechanical problems
• Mechanical systems can wear out or become
damaged
• They can also be badly designed or constructed
• Power failures and surges can damage equipment
• Natural hazards can lead to disasters

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 Introduction to Information Technology: Your Digital World

• Computer Crimes
• Two types of computer crime:
• Illegal act perpetrated against computers or
telecommunications
• Use of computers or telecommunications to
accomplish an illegal act

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 Introduction to Information Technology: Your Digital World

• Computer Crimes (continued)

• Theft of hardware
• Theft of software
• Theft of online music and videos (piracy)
• Theft of time and services
• Theft of information: e.g., medical info, credit card
info
• Internet-related fraud
• Taking over your PC: zombies, botnets, and blackmail
• Crimes of malice: crashing entire systems
• Attacks on power-control systems and attacks on the
Internet 11
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 Introduction to Information Technology: Your Digital World

• Computer criminals may include:

• Individuals or small groups who
• Use fraudulent email and websites
• Steal peoples’ identities for monetary gains
• Show off their power for bragging rights
• Employees who
• Have a grudge against their current or former
employers
• Have a grudge against another employee
• Sell their company’s secrets for personal profit
• Outside partners and company suppliers
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 Introduction to Information Technology: Your Digital World

• Computer criminals (continued)

• Corporate spies
• Organized crime
• Cyberwar fighters
• Computer criminals do not include your employer,
who is legally allowed to monitor the computers at
work
• Check your company’s computer usage policy
• Make sure you follow the rules
• Know that any data you store in the computer at
work – including emails – is company property
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 Introduction to Information Technology: Your Digital World

9.3 Security Safeguards

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 Introduction to Information Technology: Your Digital World

• Security is a system of safeguards for protecting

information technology against disasters,
system failures, and unauthorized access that
can result in damage or loss
• Computer security’s five components:
• Deterrence of computer crime
• Identification and access
• Encryption
• Protection of software and data
• Disaster recovery plans
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 Introduction to Information Technology: Your Digital World

• Deterrents to computer crime

• Enforcing laws
• CERT: The Computer Emergency Response Team
• Provides round-the-clock information on international
computer security threats
• Tools to fight fraudulent and unauthorized online
uses
• Rule-based detection software
• Predictive-statistical-model software
• Employee Internet management software
• Internet filtering software
• Electronic surveillance
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 Introduction to Information Technology: Your Digital World

• Deterrents to computer crimes (continued)

• Identification and access
• Verify legitimate right of access by what you have,
what you know, and who you are
• What you have: cards, keys, signatures, badges
• What you know: PINs and passwords; callback provision
• Who you are: biometrics

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 Introduction to Information Technology: Your Digital World

• Deterrents to computer crimes (continued)

• Encryption
• The process of altering readable data into unreadable
form to prevent unauthorized access
• Advantage: encrypting data that is available over the
Internet keeps thieves and crackers from reading it
• Disadvantage: encrypting data may prevent law-
enforcement officials from reading the data criminals are
sending to one another

Discussion Questions: Does information privacy outweigh law enforcement’s needs to

track down and prosecute criminals? Should we all encrypt our information to prevent
crackers and criminals from stealing it?

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 Introduction to Information Technology: Your Digital World

• Deterrents to computer crimes (continued)

• Protection of software and data
• Restrict access to online files; use transaction logs
• Use audit controls to track who used what programs
and servers, which files were opened, and so on
• Use people controls—screen applicants; do
background checks; monitor Internet, email, and
computer usage; use shredders for discarded
documents and materials

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 Introduction to Information Technology: Your Digital World

• Deterrents to computer crimes (continued)

• Disaster-recovery plans
• Method of restoring information-processing
operations that have been halted by destruction or
accident
• Back up everything; put mainframes in different
locations
• Plans range in price and complexity
• Automatically store data redundantly in two or more
places
• Have an off-site computer-based data storage center
with independent power supply
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 Introduction to Information Technology: Your Digital World

9.4 Quality-of-Life
Issues

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 Introduction to Information Technology: Your Digital World

• Environmental Problems
• Manufacturing computers and circuits can cause pollution
• Hazardous toxins are involved in computer manufacture
• Wireless devices can interfere in hospital activities and with
medical devices
• Used computers/monitors contain chromium, cadmium,
lead, mercury, PVC, and brominated flame retardants – all
toxic substances that must be disposed of properly
• Visual pollution is created by the forest of wireless towers,
roof antennas, satellite dishes, etc.; birds and bats, other
wildlife, and vegetation are affected
• Nanotechnology carries possible risks on the molecular level
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 Introduction to Information Technology: Your Digital World

• Mental-Health Problems
• Isolation: computer gamers may substitute online
games for interpersonal interaction; videogame and
Internet addiction
• Online gambling is too easy
• Many users find computers stressful and anger-
inducing

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 Introduction to Information Technology: Your Digital World

• Protecting Children
• Pornography
• The Internet has allowed the widespread distribution
of sexually explicit material
• Online pornographers use pop-up ads, Internet
search engines to troll for new customers
• This means that children may be exposed to porn
when involved in innocent online searches
• Parents may use online blocking software such as
Cybersitter, Cyber Patrol, or Net Nanny to prevent this

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 Introduction to Information Technology: Your Digital World

• Protecting Children (continued)

• They can also use DVD filters
• Videogame rating systems
• The V-chip
• “xxx” web addresses

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 Introduction to Information Technology: Your Digital World

• Online Sexual Predators

• Prevention Strategies
• Monitor children’s Internet use
• Be candid to children about threats
• Caution children about revealing too much
information
• Tell them not to engage in sexting (online information
and images NEVER go away; they are there forever)

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 Introduction to Information Technology: Your Digital World

• Cyberbullies
• Another example of how information technology can
negatively affect children
• When it happens:
• Save the evidence
• Block messages
• Contact an attorney or the police
• Cyberbullying can also occur in the workplace

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 Introduction to Information Technology: Your Digital World

• Workplace Problems
• Misuse of technology
• Playing online games, shopping, writing personal
emails, etc. interfere with workers’ productivity and
can get them fired
• Fussing with computers
• Dealing with hardware, software, and network
connections can waste a lot of time, as can dealing
with spam and the like
• Information overload
• With so much available technology, people tend to
work more hours and get swamped by too much
information
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 Introduction to Information Technology: Your Digital World

9.5 Economic &

Political Issues

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 Introduction to Information Technology: Your Digital World

• Technology may affect the gap between the rich

and the poor (“digital divide”)
• Most jobs require employees who are tech-savvy
• People who are not tech-savvy won’t qualify for those
jobs
• Technology is being used to replace employees in
traditional jobs, traditionally filled by untrained workers
• Not everyone can afford computers and Internet
connectivity
• Many governments censor Internet content
available in their countries but they can’t control
all Internet political activism
• Internet is only loosely policed, so criminals take
advantage
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