Partial requirement in IT6-professional ethics

ENCRYPTION

In cryptography, encryption is the process of transforming information (referred to as plaintext) using an algorithm (called cipher) to make it unreadable to anyone except those possessing special knowledge, usually referred to as a key. The result of the process isencrypted information (in cryptography, referred to as ciphertext). In many contexts, the word encryption also implicitly refers to the reverse process, decryption (e.g. “software for encryption” can typically also perform decryption), to make the encrypted information readable again (i.e. to make it unencrypted).

Encryption has long been used by militaries and governments to facilitate secret communication. Encryption is now commonly used in protecting information within many kinds of civilian systems. For example, the Computer Security Institute reported that in 2007, 71% of companies surveyed utilized encryption for some of their data in transit, and 53% utilized encryption for some of their data in storage. Encryption can be used to protect data "at rest", such as files on computers and storage devices (e.g. USB flash drives). In recent years there have been numerous reports of confidential data such as customers' personal records being exposed through loss or theft of laptops or backup drives. Encrypting such files at rest helps protect them should physical security measures fail.Digital rights management systems which prevent unauthorized use or reproduction of copyrighted material and protect software against reverse engineering (see also copy protection) are another somewhat different example of using encryption on data at rest.

Encryption is also used to protect data in transit, for example data being transferred via networks (e.g. the Internet, e-commerce),mobile telephones, wireless microphones, wireless intercom systems, Bluetooth devices and bank automatic teller machines. There have been numerous reports of data in transit being intercepted in recent years. Encrypting data in transit also helps to secure it as it is often difficult to physically secure all access to networks.

Encryption, by itself, can protect the confidentiality of messages, but other techniques are still needed to protect the integrity and authenticity of a message; for example, verification of a message authentication code (MAC) or a digital signature. Standards andcryptographic software and hardware to perform encryption are widely available, but successfully using encryption to ensure security may be a challenging problem. A single slip-up in system design or execution can allow successful attacks. Sometimes an adversary can obtain unencrypted information without directly undoing the encryption. See, e.g., traffic analysis, TEMPEST, or Trojan horse.

One of the earliest public key encryption applications was called Pretty Good Privacy (PGP). It was written in 1991 by Phil Zimmermann and was purchased by Symantec in 2010.

Digital signature and encryption must be applied at message creation time (i.e. on the same device it has been composed) to avoid tampering. Otherwise any node between the sender and the encryption agent could potentially tamper it.


SOURCE:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encryption

Partial requirement in IT6-professional ethics

FIREWALL

A firewall is a device or set of devices designed to permit or deny network transmissions based upon a set of rules and is frequently used to protect networks from unauthorized access while permitting legitimate communications to pass.

Many personal computer operating system include software-based firewalls to protect against threats from the public Internet. Many routers that pass data between networks contain firewall components and, conversely, many firewalls can perform basic routing functions. 

source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firewall_(computing)

Relationship in law, ethics and computer technology

LAW

Law can be defined as a consistent set of universal rules that are widely published, generally accepted, and usually enforced. These rules describe the ways in which people are required to act in their relationships with others in a society. They are requirements to act in a given way, not just expectations or suggestions to act in that way. Since the government establishes law, the government can use police powers to enforce laws. The following chart defines the terms in the definition of law above.

• Consistent – If two requirements contradict each other, both cannot be termed a law, because people cannot obey both.
• Universal – The requirements must be applicable to every one with similar characteristics facing the same set of circumstances.
• Published – The requirements have to be published, in written form, so that they are accessible to everyone within the society.
• Accepted – The requirements have to be generally obeyed.
• Enforced – Members of society must be compelled to obey the law if they do not choose to do so voluntarily.

ETHICS

The word ethics is derived from the Greek word ethos (character), and from the Latin word mores (customs). Together they combine to define how individuals choose to interact with one another. In philosophy, ethics defines what is good for the individual and for society and establishes the nature of duties that people owe themselves and one another. The following items are characteristics of ethics:

• Ethics involves learning what is right and wrong, and then doing the right thing.
• Most ethical decisions have extended consequences.
• Most ethical decisions have multiple alternatives.
• Most ethical decisions have mixed outcomes.
• Most ethical decisions have uncertain consequences.
• Most ethical decisions have personal implications.

It is important to note that there is also a difference between ethics and morality. Morality refers both to the standards of behavior by which individuals are judged, and to the standards of behavior by which people in general are judged in their relationships with others. Ethics, on the other hand, encompasses the system of beliefs that supports a particular view of morality.

COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY

There is no doubt that computer technology has had a great impact on society and also brought many technical developments with it. It has brought many changes to the way we live as individual as well as members of societies and organizations. It has had major effects and changes on the economy, health, education, industry, agriculture and many other fields. The ability of computers in gathering, processing, presenting and sending large amount of information has had major changes in the way large organizations as well individuals organize their lives. Computers are at work, in schools and hospitals and many other places. We therefore need to have some basic understanding of how they function and the language associated with them.

For people with not enough technical knowledge on computers, the amount of technical knowledge involved in the field of computer technology is overwhelming. It is also a field that changes fast enough for people to keep pace with. This site has been organized to help you understand, in a simple way, the concepts involved and language used in computer technology.

• Computers. How do computers work? What to do before buying a personal computer?
• Computer Programming What is computer programming (or coding)? how are computer programs written?
• Computer Graphics. Easy to follow tutorials on computer graphics.
• Internet. What is the internet and what is it used for?
• Computer Hardware. What is computer hardware? Free resources with easy to follow explanations of what is computer hardware and how does it function.
• Computer Software. What is computer software? Free resources that discuss the role of software in computers are presented. Different software are used in computers and these are also discussed.
• Computers and Security. What is computer security? Easy to follow explanations of what is computer security and how it can be protected.