Computer Ethics and Cyber Security

Computer Ethics and Cyber Security:

The Internet serves as an easily accessible communication platform open to everyone. Information Technology spans across computers, mobile devices, and the internet, offering vast opportunities but also leaving room for potential misuse. The vulnerability of computer systems calls for specific attention to safeguard valuable data from falling into unauthorized hands. Protecting this data is crucial. Cybercrime, involving computers and networks, poses an escalating threat to society, demanding increased vigilance.

Ethics:

Ethics encompasses a collection of moral principles that dictate an individual’s conduct within a society. Computer ethics, on the other hand, specifically comprises the moral guidelines that oversee the utilization of computers by users.

Guidelines of Ethics:

Computer users should adhere to the following principles:

1. Honesty: Maintain truthfulness when using the internet.

2. Confidentiality: Avoid sharing critical information with unauthorized individuals.

3. Respect: Honor the privacy of other users.

4. Responsibility: Take ownership and be accountable for individual actions.

Ethical Issues:

Ethical issues pose dilemmas where individuals or organizations must discern between choices, weighing their moral implications as either ethical or unethical. These quandaries demand resolution for a constructive impact on society. Several prevalent ethical concerns encompass:

• Cybercrime.
• Software Piracy.
• Hacking.
• Misuse of computers for fraudulent activities.
• Deliberate virus-based sabotage.
• Falsifying claims through computer systems.

Cyber Crime:

Cybercrime is a form of sophisticated, white-collar offense where individuals manipulate computer systems using their intellect. An instance of this is the unauthorized transfer of funds through the Internet. Below, you’ll find a list detailing various computer crimes and their functionalities.

Software Piracy:

“Software piracy encompasses the unauthorized duplication of software. Conversely, Shareware presents an alternative approach. Shareware developers promote sharing program copies with friends and peers while urging regular users to remit a registration fee directly to the program’s creator. Illegally distributed commercial programs accessible to the public are commonly referred to as Warez.”

Hacking:

Unauthorized intrusion into a computer system, commonly known as hacking, involves accessing personal data without consent or awareness, often for the purpose of theft, such as stealing passwords. It also encompasses gaining illicit entry into a system and manipulating its contents. Hacking can serve criminal intent or simply be a hobbyist pursuit. While some hackers engage in harmless challenges to breach system defenses, ethical hacking should only occur within controlled experiment settings. Various measures, including Firewalls, Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), Virus and Content Scanners, and the application of Patches and Hotfixes, are employed to prevent unauthorized access.

Cracking:

Cracking involves altering a program’s source code to exploit or manipulate it. A cracker, often referred to as a black hat or dark side hacker, operates as a malicious or criminal force. Their aim is to infiltrate computer systems with the intent to steal, corrupt, or unlawfully access data. These individuals breach others’ computer systems, often within networks, sidestepping passwords or licensing protocols within the software. They might employ tactics such as sending seemingly genuine emails, requesting sensitive information, and impersonating legitimate institutions like banks or official organizations.

Cyber Security and Threats:

Cyber attacks are predominantly executed to inflict substantial harm on computer systems or to pilfer crucial information from individuals or organizations. Cybersecurity encompasses a range of technologies, procedures, and safeguards aimed at mitigating the risks posed by cyber-attacks, shielding both organizations and individuals from digital threats.

Types of Cyber Attacks:

Malware represents a category of software intentionally crafted for criminals to illicitly access systems and inflict damage. It encompasses a range of cyber-attacks, each designed with specific functions aimed at causing harm.

Cyber Security Threats:

In recent times, numerous individuals and businesses have grappled with challenges stemming from inherent weaknesses in security systems and compromised organizational infrastructures. Various types of cyber threats can be categorized as follows:

Phishing represents a form of cybercrime aimed at stealing user data, such as login credentials, passwords, credit card numbers, and more, typically through deceptive emails.

Pharming constitutes a deceitful method wherein harmful code infiltrates a personal computer or server. This code redirects users, unbeknownst to them, to deceitful websites. Often dubbed “phishing without a trap,” pharming is a tactic employed by hackers to manipulate individuals online. Essentially, it’s a cyber-attack designed to reroute a website’s traffic towards a fraudulent site.

A cookie constitutes a compact data snippet transmitted from a website and retained in the user’s computer memory, specifically on the hard drive, courtesy of the user’s web browser during internet browsing sessions. Websites commonly employ cookies for various purposes:

• Gathering demographic data on website visitors.
• Utilizing this data to monitor visitor frequency and duration of stay on the site.

Firewall and Proxy Servers:

A firewall serves as a foundational component of computer network security, responsible for overseeing and regulating incoming and outgoing network traffic according to predefined security protocols. Typically, it creates a barrier between a secure internal computer network and external, untrusted devices. Meanwhile, a proxy server functions as an intermediary linking end users to a web server. It assesses requests, verifies their authenticity, and allows legitimate requests to proceed.

Encryption and Decryption:

Encryption and decryption serve to safeguard information, ensuring that only authorized individuals can access it. Encryption involves transforming plain text data, known as plaintext, into a complex and jumbled form called ciphertext. Decryption, conversely, is the process of reversing this operation, converting ciphertext back into plaintext. These processes fall under the domain of cryptography, where a key—a specific piece of information—determines the functional output of a cryptographic algorithm. Encryption finds application in securing data within communication systems, such as data transmitted over networks (e.g., the Internet, e-commerce), mobile phones, wireless microphones, intercom systems, Bluetooth devices, and ATM transactions in banks.