Module 12: New Frontiers for
Computer Ethics: Cyberspace
Introduction
Cyberspace and the Concepts of Telepresence and
Immersion
Securing Cyberspace
Intellectual Property Rights in Cyberspace
Regulating and Censoring Cyberspace
The Social Value of Cyberspace
Privacy in Cyberspace
Global Cyber Ethics
Cyberspace Lingua Franca
Global Cyber Culture
Ethical and Social...J.M.Kizza
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Introduction
When William Gibson first coined the word cyberspace in his novel
Neuromancer, he was describing the vision of a three-dimensional
space of pure information consisting of networks of computers
linking people, machines, and other objects as information sources
and sinks.
Cyberspace is a global artificial reality environment based on a
global mesh of interconnected computer networks allowing and
making it possible for anyone using a point of entry device like a
computer, smartphone, or any other Internetenabled electronic
device to reach anyone else, with the potential to access the mesh,
through a one-on-one, one-to-many, and many-to-one
communication capabilities or through broadcasting via the World
Wide Web.
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Cyberspace and the Concepts of Telepresence
and Immersion
When one is in cyberspace, there is a feeling of being in a location
other than where one actually is.
This is a notion of telepresence, a feeling one gets of being present
at a place other than their true location.
This feeling and sometimes the ability to control a robot or another
device at a distance gives cyberspace and in fact makes cyberspace
a virtual environment. Whether in cyberspace or not, telepresence,
as a concept, requires that the users’ senses be provided with such
stimuli as to give the feeling of being in that other location.
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Securing Cyberspace
Keeping cyberspace users secure is a daunting job that requires
advanced detection techniques and prevention methods.
We do this by:
– Detecting Attacks in Cyberspace
– Performing Cyberspace Forensics
– Performing Intrusion Detection in Cyberspace
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Cyberspace Access
Types of cyberspace access (most common)
– Direct connection
– Dial up( SLIP, PPP)
– DSL
Politics of cyberspace access
– Digital divide
Geography
Education
Race
Age
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Intellectual Property Rights
Internet paradox – Internet technology
requires fast access, maximum
compatibility in service and low costs:
Mass access creates competition
Much of what is moved on the Internet is
intellectual property, therefore, protected by
intellectual property laws and statutesfosters monopoly.
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Regulating and Cyberspace
Censorship
Reasons for Internet censorship:
Terrorism
Historical
Social
Political
Cultural
Economic
Internet censorship is expensive:
Highly specialized and rich graphics that require latest
equipment
Need for highly trained people to do the job
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Cyberspace Censorship…
Internet convergence, one-fits-all, a combo of
telecommunication, broadcasting and computer
services
Changing nature of material and content
Lack of internationally accepted judicial
systems
Transient nature of membership of
cyberspace -cyberzens
Lack of allegiance
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Cyberspace Censorship…
Measures being undertaken:
– Legislation
– Self-regulation
– Hotlines/advocacy
– Education
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Privacy in Cyberspace
Individual privacy under attack through
electronic monitoring, surveillance,
transmission, scanning and tapping
Also more efficient means of collecting,
categorizing, and sorting data
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Cyberspace Security
Security of information in two areas:
– At the server
Firewalls
– During transmission
Encryption
Authentication
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Global Ethical Standards
Chances of an emergence of a global
ethical standard
– Conflicting global ideologies:
Politics
Religion
– Deferring global cultures
– Small Internet etiquettes – beginning to get
global
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Global Lingua Franca
The emergence of a global lingua franca
Major languages:
English
French
German
Russian
Chinese
Factors influencing growth of a global language:
Commerce
Military
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Global Cyber Culture
International migration and travels
Cyber communities observing certain cultures
Factors influencing the growth of global culture:
Commerce
Military
Migrations
Factors working against growth of global culture:
Ideologies (political, religious)
Differing cultures
mistrust
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