Modules 11-13

1. What is computer crime?
            Well, as the name suggests, it's a crime that has something to do with the technology or more specifically to computers. In our modern world today, as technology significantly eases the performance of many tasks.
            Computerization significantly eases the performance of many tasks. For example, the speed and ability to communicate with people is fostered by the Internet, a worldwide network that is used to send communiqués and provide access to the world-wide web. But this same speed and ability to communicate also opens the door to criminal conduct. Computer crime plays a significant role in the criminal law of the information age. Accompanying the influx of computers is an increase in criminal acts and, as a result, an increase in the number of statutes to punish those who abuse and misuse this technology.
           Computer crime, sometimes known as cyber-crime, is a serious concern. The crime can be perpetrated instantaneously and its effects can spread with incredible quickness. Furthermore, the ever-increasing use of computers, especially in serving critical infrastructure, makes computer criminality increasingly important.
           There is an endless list of possible crimes that can occur through use of the Internet. For example, the Internet can be a medium used for committing hate crimes, pornography, consumer fraud, stalking, terrorism, theft of security or trade secrets, software piracy, economic espionage, and financial institution fraud. The threat of computer crime is underlined by the fact that a security organization such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation was forced to temporarily take down its Internet site in 1991 after an attack by hackers.
            Companies have been equally vulnerable and have incurred millions of dollars in damage due to the effect of certain viruses.
            Misuse of the computer threatens individual and business privacy, public safety, and national security. There have been considerable efforts made by state, federal, and international governments to curb computer crime.

2. Give an example of a computer crime not stated in the Computer Ethics blog
Cyberterrorism is an example to a computer crime.
Cyberterrorism in general, can be defined as an act of terrorism committed through the use of cyberspace or computer resources (Parker 1983). As such, a simple propaganda in the Internet, that there will be bomb attacks during the holidays can be considered cyberterrorism. As well there are also hacking activities directed towards individuals, families, organized by groups within networks, tending to cause fear among people, demonstrate power, collecting information relevant for ruining peoples' lives, robberies, blackmailing etc.

3. What is stated in section 33a of Republic Act 8792?
Cracking and hacking under the Philippine Electronic Commerce Act (Republic Act No. 8792) are used interchangeably. The Act provides specifically that “hacking or cracking ... refers to unauthorized access into or interference in a computer system / server or information and communication system; or any access in order to corrupt, alter, steal, or destroy using a computer or other similar information and communication devices, without the knowledge and consent of the owner of the computer or information and communications system, including the introduction of computer viruses and the like, resulting in the corruption, destruction, alteration, theft or loss of electronic data messages or electronic document.


4. In Visayas State University, there is an office that deals with protecting
the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) of those who publish their intellectual
output works. What is this office that caters with IPR concerns? Who is the head
of this office?
ODREx deals with the Intellectual Property Rights or the IPR concerns header by Dr. Othello Capuno.

Module 1 and Module 2 assessment questions

This is about the student handbook on computing for the students of Virginia
University. Read and understand their handbook.

a. If you are to become a part of the VSU team who will formulate a handbook like that of Virginia University, give at least 2 policies that you want to be implemented in VSU or even just for CS students like you, regarding computing .Also include sanction or sort of punishment to those who will violate the said policy.

• There should be a registration for students or even the staff and faculty who have their personal laptops. Internet Protocol (IP) address, computer name and other necessary information on that device should be in details too. Changing of IP or any other details on the device should be informed beforehand. In this case, tracing could be at ease. In connection to this policy, the wi-fi hotspots should cover the whole university so that even students in their dormitories can have access. Rules and regulations on the usage of internet should also then be implemented so that the usage will not be abused like restriction to pornographic and other malicious sites and download limitations.
(SANCTION): Those devices which are unregistered should not be allowed to use the internet.
Generally, violation to rules should be subjected to suspension of its internet access.

• Another policy that I have planned is that: Every student enrolled in any computer subjects should have an online account supervised by the university or the department. And every time a student uses a computer owned by the university, a student must be logged-in first to their account before utilizing the computer.
(SANCTION): Failure to meet this policy shall have a sanction of 1 hour hard-labor.

2. According to the definition of ethics, it can be connected to the norms or
custom of the society. What could be ethical to one could be unethical to
another. If this is the case, in which ethics seem to be subjective in nature,
why is there a need to study computer ethics at all? Support your opinion with
facts.

• As a college student, you may wanna know how computer works like word-processing, browsing the net, programming and a whole lot more. But we might not know that studying computer ethics does not only cover that. By studying computer ethics we may be discipline not only to computer but to the society as well. As what wikipedia has stated that we make ourselves as computing professionals and we make decisions regarding professional and social conduct. It likely states that we may not just be inclined to being ethical to computer but also to the community. And by doing such act, we may be restricted to doing such unethical things using the computer such as spamming, hacking and other things that uses the computer as an instrument of evil, I might say. We are living in a modern world today, and we can just ignore that sometimes life gets dependent to computers. So by being ethical to computer would also relate to our natural daily living.
3. There are 4 types of non-jural law. Divine, natural, moral and physical. If
you are to practice just one type of the non-jural law for the entire existence
of your life, what would it be and why?

• It would be best that I choose the divine law. Because aside from its definition that states “All other laws would fall under the divine law as it encompasses and governs not only human action but the whole universe as well”, it has also been stated in Matthew 6:13 that we should seek God’s kingdom first and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to us. With those facts stated I guess it would be of no confusion that we can live the best of life by just following the divine law. It is of essence to follow the law too, because it is the first one to exist and God is our creator, God is already here before the human existence. For me, divine law would be the best option to practice for my entire existence here on this temporary world that I’m living. Eternal life is to be secured, and it’s not here, it’s way up there..^^hihi