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The Dark Side of Computer-based Technologies

by Kris Mesler

I. Introduction Children today are used to having computers as part of their daily lives. In a modern, computer-controlled, information-based society, education is of central importance. While computer-based technologies have increased daily efficiency and opened doors into unprecedented areas of learning, there are always those without ethical standards that may take technology to the dark side. Private information is there for the taking, there is more inequity between those that have versus those that have not, and there is an emergence of new kinds of crime. Welcome to the dark sideand its safeguards. II. Ethical and Legal Issues and Computers Teachers act as loco parentis in the place of parents A. Privacy Invasion 1. There is no explicit constitutional guarantee to privacy 2. PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) is software designed to help protect your privacy by encrypting and decrypting digital documents stored on your computer (http://www.symantec.com/business/theme.jsp?themeid=pgp) 3. Law and order departments, corporations and private investigators use technology to spy on people to some extent 4. Unfortunately, many times we are content to have our privacy invaded. Hospitals and banks need that information to maintain records, so we give it to them freely 5. Be sensitive to the fact it goes on more than you think and teach students to be sensitive as well 6. Some government measures have been enacted to help with the amount and availability of personal information given to companies B. Computing Inequities: Haves and Have Nots 1. Rich vs. Poor a. Poor have a disadvantage. Computer-based education in poor schools is in deep trouble. They lack funds and skills to finance the

maintenance of their computer hardware, and also lack appropriate training to make the best use of equipment b. Poorer school districts can become part of the privileged by having forward-thinking adults in administration and community partners pledged to help. 2. Girls versus Boys a. Girls need help in overcoming the cultural stereotype that causes them to be less inclined towards technology-based careers than boys b. Email and the Internet have the capability to assist communication and help in the ability to even out levels among adolescents c. Help girls by using some of the Principles of Computer Equity i. Focus specifically on girls ii. Target girls in groups iii. Design activities around girls existing interests iv. Stress the usefulness of computers v. Eliminate biased computer practices vi. Pay attention to your software 3. Whites versus Minorities a. African Americans and Hispanics are not expected, and often do not expect themselves, to achieve success in technology fields such as those associated with computers b. Most come from lower income homes with a lower likelihood they will have the same access to technology as whites 4. Lack of Equal Access to Information Disparities in funding and management of different school systems keeps some students on the wrong side of the digital divide C. Software Privacy Theft of Programs Everyone is directly or indirectly vulnerable to becoming a victim of computer crime 1. The Scope of the Piracy Problem a. You may possibly be running pirated software on the computers you use at school or at home b. BSA (Business Software Alliance) is one watchdog group looking for pirated software c. It is ironic that people who would never think about stealing a candy bar from a drugstore seem to have no qualms about copying a $500 software package (Ken Wasch, past Executive Director of the SPA) 2. Types of Software Piracy a. End-User piracy

b. c. d. e.

i. Multiple copies without licenses ii. Installs on more computers than licensed iii. Duplicates Original Equipment Manufacturer software iv. Uses upgrade offer without original license v. Installs on unauthorized computers vi. Shares or swaps software Client-server piracy application on a network server and allows it to be used by too many computers Internet piracy downloading counterfeit or illegally copied software Hard Disk Loading reseller unlicensed software installed Software Counterfeiting illegal copying and selling of software

3. Copyright Law and What You Can Do a. Software is copyrighted the minute it is published b. Buyer is usually allowed to use the software on one computer only c. Anti-piracy hotline can result in one of three actions: i. Cease and Desist letter ii. Audit iii. Lawsuit d. SPA and BSA provide online resources for learning about cybercrime and also has materials and resources to help detect pirated software (http://www.bsa.org/usa/antipiracy/Free-Software-Audit-Tools.cfm) 4. Other Reasons to Avoid Piracy a. Copied or counterfeited software has a high risk of exposure to computer viruses b. Copied and counterfeited software comes with no warrantees c. Users of pirated software are not eligible for software upgrades d. Pirated software generally lacks documentation e. Proper licensing of software generally makes it possible to receive technical support D. Free and Not-Free Software and Software Licensing 1. Public Domain and software No copyrighted software application is or will ever be in the public domain 2. Open Source software gives the user freedom to copy, study and improve upon the code, redistribute, and adapt the software 3. Freeware a. Copyrighted software available on the Internet for download with no charge. Users may not alter the program, source code, or to distribute a copied or adapted version b. Not warranted by the author

c. Reliable sources are companies like Apple, Adobe and Qualcomm with products such as QuickTime Player, Acrobat Reader and Eudora Light 4. Shareware a. Software developed for sale with a try before you buy marketing b. Many will time out after a specified trial period or unlock upon registration c. Often more fully supported than freeware d. Reliable portal sites include Version Tracker and Tucows that have a rating system and include user reviews 5. Licensed Commercial Software a. Software which is registered for your use and which entitles you to full support from the company that sold you the product b. A software license is an agreement between you and the company supplying the software available in single license, site license, labpack, or network license. FileMaker and Apple have started negotiating liberal site licenses to allow for installation on teacher home computers c. Licenses usually last for the life of the application, but some are limited to a certain time frame. Be careful on your purchases! 6. Software Protection a. Software industry loses more through unauthorized copying than the hardware industry because it is easier to copy software b. Copyright law and Trade Secret law protect the creators of software c. Unauthorized copying may be prevented by: i. Building overriding commands into the software ii. Time bomb if the user has not paid for an authorized copy during a certain time period iii. Embed a registration in the system files iv. Product activation upon registration of software III. Steps Schools Should Take to Discourage Software Piracy A. Appoint a Software Manager B. Create and implement a software policy and code of ethics C. Establish software policies and procedures D. Conduct internal controls analysis E. Conduct periodic software audits F. Establish and maintain a software log of licenses and registration materials

G. Teach software compliance H. Enjoy the benefits of software license compliance I. IV. Thank employees and students for participating

Security: Hacking and Cracking Use of computer technology to break the law by violating the security or privacy of computers and networks A. Computer Viruses and Other Malware 1. Viruses infect other computer systems by attaching duplicate copies of themselves to legitimate operating system or applications software with which they come into contact 2. Time Bombs programmed to go off at a certain time on a certain date 3. Logic Bombs Less predictable because they are triggered when some specific set of switches inside the computers memory become electronically set to a predetermined value B. Malware Worms and Trojan Horses Malware refers to malicious computer programs that are run on your computer without your knowledge. A worm is a special type of malware designed to duplicate itself not only from machine to machine, but also with each machine. Examples: Slammer and Trojan Horse C. Spyware and Spam 1. Spyware hidden malware that sit on your computer and gather information about your computer use, preferences and data without your consent. Also includes adware 2. Spam malware that results in unsolicited e-mail and sometimes pornspam D. Trespass of Computer Systems 1. Skilled hackers are able to obtain access codes and passwords of institutional computer systems. Some hackers do this just for fun, while others are malicious in intent

2. Identity Theft watch for Sniffers programs written by hackers for the purpose of capturing id names and passwords as the data packets travel across a network 3. Schools need to have a strongly worded, legally viable, and clearly stated policy spelling out the consequences of hacking by students or employees E. Money Theft (Embezzlement) Most of the theft involves company insiders white-collar criminals V. Steps Schools Should Take to Secure Networks and Computers A. Purchase and install reliable up-to-date anti-virus software, such as those from McAfee or Symantec B. Choose an e-mail service or client that provides a spam and virus filter C. Obtain anti-spyware protection, whether on a CD or online D. Manually delete cookies and set browsers to deny cookies E. Have an active firewall which helps detect and log attacks to the security of the network F. Download and install fixes to applications G. Follow a few simple rules: 1. Change passwords often 2. Do not store passwords or financial information on the computer 3. Use a secure site (SSL) for financial transactions 4. Delete without opening any e-mail message and/or attachment from an unknown source 5. Be alert to any sudden change in the performance or appearance of your computer H. IT staff must keep all members of the school community informed of new viruses 1. Have a message displayed at the network log in that warns hackers that the system is for authorized users only and that intruders will be prosecuted

2. Have a written plan of network security procedures describing standard operating procedures including countermeasures and defense plans for when the network is under attack 3. Make access controls and event logging part of this standard procedure 4. Regularly go over the procedures with IT security personnel VI. Conclusion Computers have been integrated in our systems of transportation, administration, information communications, finance, government, education, and more. As they are transforming our everyday lives, they are transforming the way we teach and learn in the field of education. We need to prepare our students to address ethical and legal problems so they will not be vulnerable to victimization by hackers, viruses, and the like. If we accomplish this task, our students will function more effectively in protecting themselves. Girls will also need to be able to protect themselves from the stereotype that they are not as technologically competent as boys. Stealing software is very easy and hacking can be irresistible to those who are technologically gifted, but both have unwanted consequences that students need to know. The computer helps us think; unfortunately, it cannot help us act morally or ethically. This is something we need to do ourselves. The knowledge you help your students to acquire by discussing these issues with them will serve them both personally and in relation to society.

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