CYBER ETHICS

Syllabus:
Unit : Cyber Ethics
 Netiquettes.
 Software licenses and the open source software movement.
 Intellectual property rights, plagiarism and digital property rights.
 Freedom of information and the digital divide.
 E-commerce: Privacy, fraud, secure data transmission.

NETIQUETTE
We all follow a set of rules or norms while behaving and communicating in the real world. The rules
of etiquette are just as important in cyberspace as they are in the real world.
Netiquette is a combination of the words network and etiquette and is defined as a set of rules to be
followed while communicating via Internet.
We must follow rules or etiquettes while communicating online such as using email, social
media, chatting etc. Following netiquette will help you to maintain and establish positive
online relationships as well as develop a positive online reputation.
Some rules that we must follow whenever we are online are as follows
 Be Polite and do not use offensive or abusive language
We should choose our words carefully ensuring that we do not hurt the sentiments or
feelings of others.
 Respect other people's privacy
We should not read messages, mails etc of others without taking permission. Pictures and
messages of others should not be circulated without permission.
 Do not spread rumours or spam messages
We must carefully verify all facts before online communication.
 Do not plagiarize
There are copyright issues involved with content on the internet. We must be careful and
seek adult guidance while using internet. We must always give the site name in the
reference list if we have used the content available on the site for some project work.
 In business and career related online communications netiquette should be used to
ensure that correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation are put in place to project
professionalism.
 Do not fill someone's inbox with forwarded messages or spam mail.
EMAIL ETIQUETTES

The following are some important points to be kept in mind before sending an email.

The subject line should convey the

purpose of the email

Use appropriate salutation or

greetings

Be concise

Divide the text into paragraphs

Format the content properly

Use proper opening and closing
Review the email before sending it
line
Add your signature or identification
details at the end.

SOCIAL NETWORK ETIQUETTES

We must be very careful while using a social networking site. Following are some etiquettes
that must be followed during communication on a social network site.
 Post messages that are brief and concise.
 Avoid discriminatory, defamatory or derogatory remarks.
 Be polite and respect others’ points of view.
 Exercise caution while posting and tagging photos.
 Do not write in Capital letters
 Do not react to mean and hateful comments
 Limit the amount of personal information shared online. The more information you
post, the easier it is for others to use that information to break into your accounts,
access your data and commit crimes.
 Be selective in choosing your friends online. Do not accept every friend request you
get. People often create fake profiles, befriend you and gain access to personal
information.

OPEN SOURCE MOVEMENT AND SOFTWARE LICENSES

Proprietary software also known as closed-source software is software whose source code is
not accessible to the public. Example: Microsoft Windows, Adobe Photoshop

Open source software is software with source code that anyone can inspect, modify, and
enhance. Programmers who have access to a computer program's source code can improve
that program by adding features to it or fixing parts that don't always work correctly. Most of
the time open source software is free of cost.
Eamples of Open Source software: Libre Office, OpenOffice (Writer, Base, Calc, Impress),
GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP)

Advantages

 Open source software licenses promote collaboration and sharing because they
permit other people to make modifications to source code and incorporate those
changes into their own projects.
 They encourage computer programmers to access, view, and modify open source
software whenever they like, as long as they let others do the same when they share
their work.

Some examples of Open Source licenses are:[imp]

 GNU General Public License

 BSD License
 MIT License

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

Intellectual property is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the human
intellect. Intellectual property includes inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; and
symbols, names and images used in commerce etc.
Intellectual Property Rights ensure that owner’s work is safe from unauthorised use. It
promotes creativity and innovation as the creator has lawful rights over his creation. Different
types of intellectual property rights are as follows:
Patents
A patent is an exclusive right granted for an invention – a product or process that provides a
new way of doing something, or that offers a new technical solution to a problem.
A patent provides patent owners with protection for their inventions. Protection is granted
for a limited period, generally 20 years.
Trademark
A trademark is a distinctive sign that identifies certain goods or services produced or provided
by an individual or a company. A trademark can be anything that differentiates a particular
company from its competitors, e.g.: logo, slogan, music piece
Copyright
Copyright protects creative works in a tangible form; this includes books, movies, music,
games, artwork, and other kinds of creative products.

PLAGIARISM
The Merriam Webster dictionary defines the act of plagiarism as; “to steal and pass off ideas
or words of another as one’s own”. Simply put, plagiarism is the process of taking other
people’s words and/or ideas and pretending that they are your own.
The following steps should be taken to prevent plagiarism:

 Cite: Always cite the source of the text

 Paraphrase: Rephrase the text material to avoid plagiarism
 Quoting: When quoting a source, use the quote exactly the way it appears. No one wants
to be misquoted.
DIGITAL PROPERTY

Digital property (or digital assets) can be understood as any information about you or
created by you that exists in digital form, either online or on an electronic storage device.

Examples of digital property include:

 Any information or data that is stored electronically, whether stored online, in the
cloud, or on a physical device
 Any online accounts, such as email and communications accounts, social media
accounts, shopping accounts, photo and video sharing accounts, video gaming
accounts, online storage accounts, and websites and blogs that you may manage
 Domain names registered in your name
 Intellectual property, including copyrighted materials, trademarks, and any code you
may have written and own (apps or games created by you)

Threats to Digital Property

 Digital software penetration tools such as cracks and keygens that let people use
software illegally
 Some developer in a software development team may steal code and sell it.

Digital Property Rights Protection

 Anti-Tamper solution- there are many anti tamper solutions available that prevent
hackers\crackers from illegally using software
 Legal clauses-Add legal clause in the software’s terms of service, so that legal
action can be taken against people who do not use the software according to the
terms of service
 Limit the sharing of software code-Fellow developers can steal the code. Use
Digital Rights Management (DRM) solution to protect the software.

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION AND DIGITAL DIVIDE

Freedom of Information refers to right to access information available on public
platforms. Information available on Internet is not equally accessible to all.

According to Wikipedia, “A digital divide is any uneven distribution in the access to, use
of, or impact of information and communication technologies (ICT)”. In India, we observe
digital divide between states and between urban and rural areas.

E-COMMERCE
E-commerce is just the process of buying and selling produce by electronic means such as by
mobile applications and the Internet. Ecommerce refers to both online retail as well as
electronic transactions.

Online privacy is essential for ecommerce visitors and customers. The frequent headlines of
security breaches and inappropriate data use by major companies have consumers more
vigilant than ever about their privacy protection.

SAFEGUARDING USER PRIVACY

 The merchant or seller must clearly state how data will be used. The terms and
conditions must be clearly listed on the site
  The user must go through all terms and conditions before any transaction

 The merchant must assure the user about data safety and security. All measures to
implement the same must be taken

E-COMMERCE FRAUD

 Non-delivered goods
 Non-existent companies
 Fraudulent payments
Transaction done with stolen credentials—someone else’s credit card, banking info,
etc.
 Phishing or Account Takeover Fraud
Phishing fraud occurs when a thief gains access to someone else’s online account—
maybe the login to Amazon or an online store or possibly to their PayPal, Apple Pay
or other site where payment data is stored.

SECURE DATA TRANSMISSION

1. SSL Data Transmission

SSL(Secure Socket Layer) is a standard security protocol which establishes encrypted
links between a web server and browser. It ensures encryption and safety of data.

2. Data Encryption
Encrypted data when sent over Internet is hard to steal and hence is safer.

3. Use safe protocols that use some extra security features