Think-Understand-Learn
Note: Operating Online (Part-3)
Data Protection Act
●​ The Data Protection Act (DPA) is a law that protects personal data from being misused
●​ Examples of personal data would include: Name, Address, Date of Birth, Race, Religion
●​ Most people that store personal data has to follow the Data Protection Principles although there are a few
exemptions:
○​ Domestic purposes – if you only use personal data for such things as writing to friends and family or
taking pictures for your own enjoyment, you are not subject to the DPA
○​ Law enforcement – the Police investigating a crime is not subject to the DPA. E.g. if someone has
been suspected of a crime they can't request to see the evidence about them
○​ Intelligence services processing – personal data processed by the intelligence services (e.g. MI5) is
not covered by the DPA
The data protection principles
Principle
How does it affect a company?
Example
1. Personal data must be A company has to be clear about what
fairly and lawfully
personal data they wish to collect and
processed
what they want to use it for
A school can request personal
data to be able to call guardians
in an emergency
2. Personal data must be A company cannot use personal data for
collected for specified
any purpose other than what they stated
and lawful purposes
originally. They also cannot pass this data
on without permission
A company asks for a phone
number to call regarding
delivery but then uses it to
market new products
3. Personal data must be A company cannot request personal data
adequate, relevant and
that they do not need right away
not excessive
A bank cannot ask for their
customer's previous trips when
opening an account
4. Personal data must be If a company holds personal data that is
kept accurate and up to wrong or out of date then you have a right
to have it corrected or deleted
date​
If a bank has a customer's old
address then they will not be
able to send up to date
statements
5. Personal data will not
be kept for longer than
is necessary​
If a customer closes their
account the company must
delete their data
A company must delete personal data
once they no longer have a need for it
6. Personal data must be If requested a company must provide a
processed in line with
customer with all the personal data they
hold on them
people's rights​
A hospital has to give a patient’s
full records if requested by the
patient
What is copyright?
●​ Copyright is covered under a law called the Copyright Designs & Patents Act
●​ This protects the intellectual property of an individual or a company
●​ It makes it illegal to copy, modify or distribute software or other intellectual property without the relevant
permission
●​ If original work is original, copyright will be automatically applied and will not expire until 25 - 70 years from
the death of the creator depending on the type of work
●​ If an individual believes that their work has been copied it is their responsibility to take action under the
Copyright Designs and Patents Act
●​ Many sites online offer free downloads of copyrighted software/videos which prevents the intellectual
copyright holder from earning their income on the work they have created
○​ E.g. If someone downloaded videos from Netflix and shared them with others, they would be
breaching the act
●​ The act covers videos and audio where peer-to-peer streaming prevents a copyright owner from receiving an
income
What is prohibited under the Copyright, Designs & Patents Act?
Primary breaches:
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Copying an original work
Issuing a copy of the original work to the public
Renting/lending a copy of the original work to the public
Performing, showing or playing the original work in public
Making an adaptation of the original work
Secondary breaches:
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Importing a copy of the original work
Possessing or dealing with a copy of the original work
Providing means to make copies of the original work
Permitting the use of premises for making copies of the original work
Provision of props/equipment for a performance of a copy of the original work
Software piracy
●​ Software piracy is the illegal copying and distribution of software
●​ Companies often take a lot of steps to prevent software piracy, some of these methods include:
○​ Product key / license: Often a unique string or letters and numbers supplied with the software to
activate it
○​ Agreement of terms and conditions: Users will be asked to click to agree to the license agreement
before being able to install the software
○​ Holograms: Holograms are often used on the packaging of software and they indicate that the copy
is genuine as they are too difficult and costly for pirates to implement
○​ Some older software would only run if the CD ROM or memory stick was physically in the device
using it
Are there any copyright exemptions?
●​ Some countries have exemptions to the copyright law
●​ In the UK for example, they have fair use
●​ Examples of fair use include:
○​ Uses for the benefit of people with a disability
○​ Non-commercial research or private study
○​ Recordings of broadcasts for archiving
○​ Copies of books/documents made by a library, educational establishment, museums or archives
○​ When used in a parody
How can individuals be monitored?
●​ Digital technology can be used to monitor individuals but it is a controversial subject
●​ Examples of how individuals can be monitored include: Closed circuit television (CCTV), Automatic number
plate recognition (ANPR), Physical forms of identification (passports, bank cards, drivers licence etc.),
Network activity (IP/MAC addresses), GPS data shared by apps, GPS trackers.
●​ Individuals communication can also be monitored: Parental control software to monitor children's online
activity, Social media, Web histories
●​ In the UK, the Investigatory Powers Act (2016) allows the police to access these kinds of digital
communications
Benefits & drawbacks
Benefits
Drawbacks
Finding people who are lost
Compromising peoples privacy
Identify people on a network
Expense of setting up, monitoring and
maintaining
Locate friends for social activities
Energy consumption
Identify & locate potential criminals at events
Making the public not feel trusted
Keeping travellers safe by monitoring events at
airports/train stations
Verifying individuals for financial transactions to reduce
financial crime
Health & safety
Health issues are a common side effect of the prolonged use of IT at home or in the workplace​
There are strategies that should be in place to help prevent health issues such as:
Repetitive strain injury (RSI): Cause: Damage to the fingers, wrists and joints, traditionally caused by prolonged use
of a keyboard and mouse.​
Prevention: Have the correct posture (angle of arms to the keyboard and mouse), Use a wrist support if necessary,
Take regular breaks, Make use of ergonomic keyboards.
Back/neck problems: Cause: Sitting in front of a computer screen for prolonged periods of time.​
Prevention: Use adjustable chairs, Take regular breaks, Use a foot rest.
Eye strain: Cause: Staring at a computer screen for prolonged periods of time or incorrect lighting causing reflections.​
Prevention: Take regular breaks, Use an anti-glare screen filter, Change from CRT to LCD monitor.
Headaches: Cause: A combination of factors, including: Poor lighting, Flickering screens, Reflections, Fatigue.​
Prevention: Take regular breaks, Have regular eye tests, Use an anti-glare screen filter.
Physical safety: Physical safety is creating a safe environment when using technology. It includes considering
dangers that could lead to serious injury or loss of life. Identifying strategies to mitigate dangers. Safety risks include:
Electrocution: ​
Cause: Spilling drinks near electrical equipment, Touching live cables​
Prevention: - Keep liquids away from electrical equipment, ​
- Ensure that cables are properly insulated and protected, ​
- Use non-conductive materials where possible, ​
- Ensure that electrical equipment is turned off and unplugged before cleaning or maintenance, ​
- Use circuit breakers or fuses to prevent electrical overload.
Fire hazards: ​
Cause: Sockets being overloaded, Equipment overheating​
Prevention: - Use surge protectors to prevent electrical overload, ​
- Ensure enough plug sockets in the room, ​
- Don’t plug too many devices into the same plug socket, ​
- Don’t leave devices plugged in and unattended.​
- Ensure that equipment is properly ventilated and not obstructed, ​
- Keep flammable materials away from heat sources, Regularly check equipment for signs of wear or damage, ​
- Use fire extinguishers in case of emergencies, ​
- Turn off or unplug devices when away from the location, ​
- Do not cover any air vents on devices
Trip hazards: ​
Cause: Cables not properly secured or organised​
Prevention: Use cable ties or clips to secure cables​
- Keep cables away from areas where people are walking​
- Secure cables where you can, like under desks to stop protruding into open areas​
- Use cable covers to protect cables and prevent tripping hazards​
- Regularly inspect cables for signs of wear or damage
Personal safety: ​
Cause: Improperly secured equipment, Equipment not placed on stable surfaces​
Prevention: Ensure that equipment is properly secured and stable, Regularly check the stability of locations
containing devices.​
Keep equipment away from edges and other potential hazards, Regularly inspect equipment and locations containing
devices for signs of wear or damage.
Online safety
Online safety is about knowing about and using the internet safely and responsibly. It refers to when an individual is
using the internet, email, social media, online gaming. Online safety refers to the individual knowing how to protect
themselves from potential dangers and threats.
1. Protects personal information: Awareness that personal information should not be shared freely.​
2. Prevents cyberbullying: Awareness of how to act online and how to avoid falling victim, creating a safe and
respectful online environment​
3. Guards against online scams: Identify and avoid online scams, phishing attempts, and fraudulent websites that
may try to trick them into sharing personal or financial information. ​
4. Ensures digital reputation: Mindful of online behaviour and interactions, protecting your digital reputation, which
can have long-term consequences in personal and professional lives​
5. Promotes privacy and control: Have control over privacy settings on social media platforms, allowing a limit to
who can access/view personal information and posts.​
6. Prevents exposure to inappropriate content: Avoid encountering explicit or harmful content online, reducing the
risk of exposure to inappropriate material or online predators.​
7. Secures online gaming experiences: Engage in online gaming responsibly, avoiding sharing personal details and
maintaining respectful behaviour towards other players.​
8. Guards against malware and viruses: Protecting devices from malware, viruses, and other online threats,
preventing data loss, privacy breaches, or device damage.​
9. Promotes responsible digital citizenship: Develop responsible online behaviours, promoting respectful conduct
while interacting with others on the internet.​
10. Supports overall well-being: Maintain a healthy balance between online and offline lives, reducing the risk of
addiction, mental health issues, or negative impacts on relationships and self-esteem.
How can you be safe using IT?
There are many ways to remain safe when using technology, by following the advice and guidance users can stay
safe whilst: ​
1. Using the internet: - Use trusted websites recommended by teachers or reputable sources​
- Utilise search engines that only allow access to age-appropriate websites and use filters to ensure inappropriate
content is not seen​
- Never reveal personal information​
​
2. Sending/receiving email: - Be aware of the potential dangers of opening or replying to emails from unknown
people, including attachments, potential dangers include phishing, spam​
- Ensure you know who the email is for when considering sending personal data or images via email, only with people
you know and not with identifiable content like school photos​
​
3. Using social media: - Know how to block and report people who send content or messages that are unwanted​
- Know where the privacy settings are to reduce the number of people who can see your posts or images​
- Be aware of the potential dangers associated with meeting online contacts face to face, do not meet anyone you do
not know, if you do, take an adult and meet publicly ​
- Do not distribute of inappropriate images and inappropriate language​
- Only accept friend requests from people you know​
- Parents should be aware of what you are doing online, discuss what you are doing online ​
- Do not post images or details that can be used to locate you​
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4. Playing games online: - Do not use real names as usernames ​
- Never share personal or financial details with other players ​
- Know how to block and report players for inappropriate messages or comments
Acceptable behaviour policies
●​ An acceptable behaviour policy (ABP) is a set of rules that outlines how people are expected to conduct
themselves online
●​ ABPs are used in all forms of online community and typically covers: Desired behaviours, Unacceptable
behaviours, Reporting procedures, Consequences
Environmental impact of digital technology
1. Carbon footprint: The production of, using of and disposing of digital technology adds to greenhouse gas emissions​
2. E-waste: A throw-away society generates a growing amount of e-waste. It often ends up in landfills in less
developed countries, leading to health and pollution hazards​
3. Resource consumption: Rare materials and resources being consumed during the manufacturing of digital devices​
4. Energy use: Increased use of data centres and the number of digital devices in the home adding extra strain to
power grids.
Sustainability
Sustainability: Energy use is a big factor in the sustainability issues caused by the use of digital devices
Cause
Issue
Mitigation
Digital devices at home
and in the office
Power is produced using
non-renewable energies
●​ Using renewable energies
●​ Using more energy efficient
devices
Data centres
Requires extensive cooling which is
generated by non-renewable energies
●​ Geolocation of data centres
in colder climates
●​ Near rivers to to use of
natural hydro-electric power
Natural resources
Poisonous substances used in digital
devices
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Recycling
Education
Laws
Harmless alternatives