Higher Computing Science
Security / Legal implications / Environment
Summary notes
Legal implications
There are four areas of the law which you must be able to give a basic description of.
1) Computer Misuse Act - Protects against criminals who perform destructive acts on
computer systems.
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Makes it illegal to spread computer viruses.
Makes it illegal to access computer systems without permission (i.e. hacking).
2) Copyright, Designs and Patents Act - Protects the rights of people who create
original content.
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Makes it illegal to use, copy or adapt software, music, video, manuscripts, etc
without permission of the creator.
3) Communications Act - Covers acceptable use of communications technology such
as the internet or mobile phones.
Actions which are made illegal by this law include:
 Send messages or material that are offensive/upsetting (i.e. cyberbullying)
 Dishonestly obtaining internet access (e.g. using another person’s wi-fi without
consent)
 Unauthorised interception of communications (e.g. phone hacking)
4) Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) - Allows certain organisations
(e.g. the police, local councils, MI5) to intercept data, access password protected data
and carry out surveillance for the purposes of crime prevention.
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Protects individuals’ rights to privacy.
ISPs must be prepared to provide data to authorised bodies if request to do so.
Refusing to provide keys to access encrypted data can lead to a jail sentence.
Environmental implications
Environmental benefits of computers
 Global climate analysis, forecasting and modelling
 Informing and educating general public
 Reducing need for travel – easy communication across the globe
Lifetime carbon footprint
A measure of how much carbon dioxide is produced in the manufacturing, use, and
disposal of computing equipment.
Security risks
Some of the risks associated with using computers and the WWW include:
Spyware
Phishing
Keylogging
Online fraud
Identity theft
Denial of Service
(DOS) attacks
Programs which tries to gather personal information from your
computer.
A fraudulent attempt to get personal information or passwords
by pretending to be a genuine organisation. Lookout for poor
grammar, suspicious attachments, links which ask for
passwords, etc.
A program which monitors every keypress, often used to steal
passwords, credit card numbers, etc.
Using the internet to unlawfully obtain money or property.
Stealing personal details and pretending to be somebody else.
Flooding a web server with a large number of requests so the
webpages stored on it become unavailable to legitimate users.
Security precautions
There are a variety of procedures which can be put in place to reduce the risk of security
breaches.
Encryption
Digital signatures
Encoding data before it is stored or transmitted. The data must
then be decrypted using the correct key before it can be
understood. If data is intercepted it cannot be easily
deciphered.
Uses encryption methods as a way of authenticating data so
that the recipient can be sure it has not been altered or
tampered with.
An electronic document used to prove that the person sending
data is who they claim to be.
Digital certificate
Server-side
validation of online
form data
Biometrics in
industry
A padlock icon in the address bar of your browser shows that
the website has a digital certificate so you can be sure that
you’re dealing with a genuine website.
Online forms allow you to enter data into a website, such as a
username and password.
Server-side validation means that your login details are stored
on the web server. The username and password you input will
be compared to the details held on the server and, if they
match, the server will send your account data to your computer.
Biometrics (using unique characteristics as identification, such
as fingerprint, iris or voice) is increasingly popular in industry.
E.g. banks using fingerprint recognition, facial recognition at
airports, etc.
Economic impact
Competitive
advantage
Global marketplace
Business costs
Maintainability
Scalability
Dynamic websites and social networking can give businesses an
advantage over their competitors.
Businesses now have access to, and are able to cater for,
customers across the globe.
Costs involved in setting up a business have changed – no need
for expensive premises, it is cheap to set up an e-commerce
site.
Quickly updatable, database-driven websites, make it easy to
upgrade prices, put on special offers or change branding to suit
business needs.
It can be easy for businesses to adjust according to a changing
customer base, high street premises are not a requirement.
Social impact
Censorship and
freedom of speech
Privacy and
encryption
Global citizenship
Online communities
Anybody can make their views heard online but some
governments may try to impose censorship on content which is
acceptable elsewhere.
Huge amounts of data about individuals are stored and shared
readily, leading to concerns about invasion of privacy and the
need for encryption by all data users.
Online communities and a breaking down of international
barriers has led to the idea of the global citizen, somebody who
is aware of their responsibilities and impact upon the planet as
a whole.
Online communities allow people from anywhere in the world to
interact and collaborate.