lesson 30
Computing Issues
that Affect Us All
This lesson includes the following sections:
• Computer Crime
• Computer Viruses
• Theft
• Computers and the Environment
Computer Crime
•
Software Piracy
•
Protections from Piracy
Computer Crime - Software Piracy
•
Software piracy – the illegal copying of software
programs – is the biggest legal issue affecting the
computer industry.
•
Piracy is of greatest concern to developers of
commercial software, or programs that must be
purchased before using.
•
Piracy is less of a concern for shareware makers,
whose programs must be registered but not always
purchased.
•
Piracy is not a concern for freeware, which is
software that can be freely distributed by anyone.
Computer Crime - Protections from Piracy
Various forms of copy protection have been used to
discourage piracy, including:
•
Installation diskettes that record the number of
times the software is installed.
•
Hardware locks, without which the program
cannot function.
•
Passwords, serial numbers, or other codes
required for installation.
Computer Viruses
• Categories of Viruses
• Preventing Infection
Computer Viruses - Categories of Viruses
A virus is a parasitic program that infects another
program (the host). Most viruses fall into the following
categories:
Boot sector viruses
Cluster viruses
File-infecting viruses
Worms
Bombs
Trojan Horses
Polymorphic viruses
Self-garbling viruses
E-mail viruses
Self-encrypting viruses
Self-changing viruses
Stealth viruses
Macro viruses
Joke programs
Bimodal viruses
Bipartite viruses
Multipartite viruses
Macro viruses
Computer Viruses - Preventing Infection
Viruses are spread in several ways. The most common are:
•
•
•
Receiving an infected disk.
Downloading an infected executable file from a
network or the Internet.
Copying a document file that is infected with a
macro virus.
To avoid viruses, you should:
•
•
•
Treat all disks as though they are infected.
Install an antivirus program and keep its virus
definitions (database of virus information) up to date.
Run your antivirus program regularly.
Theft
•
Hardware and Software Theft
•
Data Theft
•
Protecting Networks
Theft - Hardware and Software Theft
• As PCs become smaller – and as more people use
laptop and handheld computers – hardware theft is
becoming a growing problem.
• Software theft is also a major problem for companies,
many of which must purchase large quantities of
expensive software programs.
• To combat hardware and software theft, many
companies are locking hardware to desks and
securing software in libraries, granting access to
employees only as needed.
Theft - Data Theft
• Data theft can be far more serious than software or
hardware losses, because data can be difficult or
impossible to replace.
• Hackers are a threat to sensitive corporate and
government data because they pride themselves on
getting around security measures.
• Organizations can keep hackers at bay by protecting
their networks. This can be done by enforcing the use of
user IDs and passwords.
• Data can also be protected through encryption, making
it useless to anyone who does not have the encryption
key.
Computers and the Environment
•
Planned Obsolescence
•
Use of Power
Computers and the Environment Planned Obsolescence
•
Because hardware and software products become
obsolete after a given time, older systems are
disposed of in large numbers.
•
Large-scale disposals add to the clogging of landfills
and pollution.
•
To reduce these problems, organizations can
download software from the Internet (reducing the
number of disks and manuals used). Hardware can
be recycled or donated to charities or schools.
Computers and the Environment Use of Power
•
Many people leave their computers running
continuously, whether in use or not. This consumes
power unnecessarily.
•
To solve this problem, you can use a "green PC,"
which automatically powers down the monitor and
hard drive after a period of non-use.
•
Another way to conserve energy is to use hardware
that conforms to the EPA's "Energy Star" program,
which sets standards for power consumption.
lesson 30 review
• Define software piracy and explain why it is illegal.
• Name two ways in which computer viruses can be
spread.
• Describe two methods used to protect networks from
hackers.