Chapter 8 Security Issues and Ethics in Education Chelsea Peugh Chelsea Evans

With the growing use of technology, it is important to ensure that computers and software are protected from loss, damage, and misuse. This chapter helps identify risks to computers and software, and what you can do to minimize these risks.

 Computer security risk – any event or action that has the potential of causing a loss of computer equipment, software, data and information, or processing capability.  One of these risks, such as viruses, are a result of deliberate acts that are against the law. Any illegal act involving a computer, such as this, is referred to as a computer crime.

VIRUSES  A virus is a potentially damaging computer program designed to affect your computer negatively without your knowledge or permission by altering the way it works.  Viruses spread systematically from one file to another.  Viruses do not generate by chance. Creators of viruses write them to spread from file to file to cause damage. This damage is called the virus payload. It can be harmless or it can cause significant damage.

There are 3 main types of viruses: boot sector virus, file virus, and macro virus.  Boot sector viruses replace the boot program used to start the computer with a modified infected version.  File viruses insert virus codes into program files. The virus then spreads to any program that accesses the infected file.  Macro viruses use the macro language of an application, such as word processing or a spreadsheet program, to hide virus codes.

Malicious software Programs  There are 2 common variations of computer viruses, also known as malicious software programs.  These 2 programs are known as worms and trojan horses.

Worms and Trojan Horses  A worm is a program that copies itself repeatedly in a computer’s memory or on a network. This can possibly shut down the computer or network.  A trojan horse is a malicious software program that hides within or is designed to look like a legitimate program. It is named after the Greek myth.

Virus detection and removal  There is no completely effective way to keep a computer or network safe from viruses.  Viruses are normally spread between computers by inserting an infected storage medium into a computer, or downloading an infected file from the internet or an attachment.  Using an antivirus program is one of the more effective ways to protect against viruses. Antivirus programs are designed to detect, disinfect, and protect computers and networks.

Unauthorized access and use  Unauthorized access is the use of a computer or network without permission.  Cracker- an individual who tries to access a computer or network illegally.  Hacker- a person who tries to break into a computer, often intending to steal or corrupt its data.  One way to prevent unauthorized access is to implement access controls. This can be done with user IDs and passwords. The best passwords are at least 8 digits long, a combination of letters and numbers, and something that can be typed without looking at the keyboard. The more creative the better.

 Unauthorized use – is the use of a computer or data for unapproved or possibly illegal activities. This can be something as simple as an employee using a work computer to send personal .

Firewalls  A firewall is a security system consisting of hardware and/or software that prevents unauthorized access to data and information on a network.  Schools use firewalls to deny internet to outsiders and to restrict both student and teacher access to sensitive date.  Many schools route all communications through a proxy server, which screens all incoming and outgoing messages.  Computer Vandalism takes many forms. Schools usually have written policies for handling various types of vandalism.

Software Theft  Software piracy – the unauthorized and illegal duplication of copyrighted software. This is the most common form of software theft.  Software license – an agreement that provides specific conditions for use of the software, which users must accept before using the software. The most common is a single-user license agreement or end-user license agreement (EULA). Users may install the software on one computer, or one computer and one laptop. The software can not be installed on a network.

Shareware and Freeware  Shareware and Freeware are two additional types of software that require a license agreement.  Shareware is software that is distributed for a trial period. If you want to use the shareware beyond the trial period, the developer expects you to send a small fee.  Freeware is software provided at no cost to a user by an individual company.

Network and Community/State site license  A network site license allows network users to share a single copy of the software, which resides on the network server. Prices are based on a fixed fee for an unlimited number of users.  A community/state site license gives an entire region or state the right to install an unlimited number of educational copies of a particular software program on individual computers or a network.

System Failure  System failure is a malfunction of the computer. They occur because of electrical power problems, hardware component failure, or software error.  The most common cause is an abrupt variation in electrical power.  Two more common electrical power variations are undervoltages (power supply drops) and overvoltages (power surge over 120 volts) A surge protector is a device that smoothes out minor voltage errors to provide a stable current flow.

Computer Ethics Computer ethics are the moral guidelines that govern the use of computer, networks, and information systems. There are five areas of computer ethics. 1.Unauthorized use of computers 2.Hardware, software, and information theft 3.Information privacy 4.Copyright 5.The existence of objectionable materials on the internet.

Objectionable Material and Children’s Internet Protection Act Objectionable material includes: racist literature, obscene pictures and videos, gambling, and age-restricted items. The Children’s Internet Protection Act is used to protect children from obscene, pornographic, and harmful information. This act requires that all public computers install filtering software to block this kind of information. Parental controls can be used on personal home computers to prevent the same information from being accessed at home.

Computers and health issues Computer related heath issues include tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome  Tendonitis is inflammation of a tendon due to repeated motion or stress on the tendon.  Carpal tunnel syndrome is inflammation of the nerve that connects the forearm to the palm of the wrist. This, like tendonitis, can be caused by repeated or forceful bending of the wrist.

Ergonomics Ergonomics is an applied science devoted to incorporating comfort, efficiency, and safety into the design of items in the workplace.  Viewing angle should be 20 degrees from eye to the center of the screen. The distance should be 18 – 28 inches.  Elbows should be at 90 degrees and arms and hands should be parallel to the floor.  The chair height should be adjustable and have 4 – 5 legs for stability.  Keyboard placement should be 20 – 28 inches depending on the height of the user.