Societal Impacts

In recent years, the world around us has seen a lot of changes due to use of ‘Digital Technologies’. These changes have
made a dramatic impact on our lives, making things more convenient, faster, and easier to handle. In the past, a letter
would take days to reach, and every recipient would get his or her own copy and respond separately. Today, one can
send and receive emails to more than one person at a time. The instantaneous nature of electronic communications has
made us more efficient and productive.
From the banking industry to aviation, industrial production to e-commerce, especially with regard to the delivery of
their goods and services, all are now dependent on the use of computers and digital technologies. Applications of digital
technologies have redefined and evolved all spheres of human activities. Today more and more people are using digital
technologies through smartphones, computers, etc., with the help of high speed Internet.
Why did the digital technologies become so widespread? The introduction of personal computers (PCs) and Internet
followed by smartphones has brought these technologies to the common man.
While we reap the benefits of digital technologies, these technologies can also be misused. Let’s look at the impact of
these technologies on our society and the best practices that can ensure a productive and safe
digital environment for us.

Digital Footprints/Electronic Footprint/Cyber Shadow/Digital Shadow

A digital footprint is a trail of data you create while using the Internet. It includes the websites you visit, emails you send,
and information you submit to online services.
So, whenever we surf the Internet using smartphones, tablets, computers, etc., we leave a trail of data reflecting the
activities performed by us online, which is our digital footprint.
Our digital footprint can be created and used with or without our knowledge. It includes websites we visit, emails we
send, and any information we submit online, etc., along with the computer’s IP address, location, and
other device specific details. Such data could be used for targeted advertisement or could also be misused or exploited.
Thus, it is good to be aware of the data trail we might be leaving behind. This awareness should make us cautious about
what we write, upload or download or even browse online.
There are two kinds of digital footprints we leave behind. Active digital footprints which includes data that we
intentionally submit online. This would include emails we write, or responses or posts we make on different websites or
mobile Apps, etc. The digital data trail we leave online unintentionally is called passive digital footprints. This includes
the data generated when we visit a website, use a mobile App, browse Internet, etc.
Besides browser, most of our digital footprints are stored in servers where the applications are hosted. We may not
have access to remove or erase that data, neither do we have any control on how that data will be used. Therefore,
once a data trail is generated, even if we later try to erase data about our online activities, the digital
footprints still remain. There is no guarantee that digital footprints will be fully eliminated from the Internet. Therefore,
we need to be more cautious while being online! All our online activities leave a data trace on the Internet as well as on
the computing device that we use. This can be used to trace the user, his/her location, device and other usage details.

Digital Society and Netizen

Digital society thus reflects the growing trend of using digital technologies in all spheres of human activities. But while
online, all of us need to be aware of how to conduct ourselves, how best to relate with others and what ethics, morals
and values to maintain.
Anyone who uses digital technology along with Internet is a digital citizen or a netizen. Being a good netizen
means practicing safe, ethical and legal use of digital technology. A responsible netizen must abide by net etiquettes,
communication etiquettes and social media etiquettes.

Net Etiquettes
Netiquette is short for "Internet etiquette." Just like etiquette is a code of polite behavior in society, netiquette is a code
of good behavior on the Internet. This includes several aspects of the Internet, such as email, social media, online chat,
web forums, website comments, multiplayer gaming, and other types of online communication. One should be ethical,
respectful and responsible while surfing the Internet.
Be Ethical:
• No copyright violation: We should not use copyrighted materials without the permission of the creator or
owner.
• Share the expertise: it is good to share information and knowledge on Internet so that others can access it.
Be Respectful:
• Respect privacy: In general, privacy means the protection of personal information while using the internet. We
should respect this privacy and should not share those images, documents, files, etc., with any other digital
citizen without each others’ consent. Just as we expect others to respect our privacy, so should we respect the
privacy of others.
• Respect diversity: In a group or public forum, we should respect the diversity of the people in terms of
knowledge, experience, culture and other aspects.
Be Responsible:
• Avoid cyber bullying: any insulting, degrading or intimidating online behaviour like repeated posting of rumours,
giving threats online, posting the victim’s personal information, sexual harassment or comments aimed to
publicly ridicule a victim is termed as cyber bullying.
• Don’t feed the troll: an Internet troll is a person who deliberately sows discord on the Internet by starting
quarrels or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory or off topic messages in an online community, just for
amusement. Since trolls thrive on attention, the best way to discourage trolls is not to pay any attention to their
comments.

Communication Etiquettes
Digital communication includes email, texting, instant messaging, talking on the cell phone, audio or video conferencing,
posting on forums, social networking sites, etc.
Be Precise:
• Respect time: we should not waste precious time in responding to unnecessary . Also, we should not always
expect an instant response as the recipient may have other priorities.
• Respect Data Limits: very large attachments may be Avoided or compressed files or link of the files can be send
through cloud shared storage like Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Yahoo Dropbox, etc.
Be Polite: During the communication we should be polite, non-aggressive and should avoid being abusive even if we
don’t agree with other’s point o view.
Be Credible: We should be cautious while making a comment, replying or writing an email or forum post as such acts
decide our credibility over a period of time.

Social Media Etiquettes

Social media are websites or applications that enable their users to participate in social networking by creating and
sharing content with others in the community. These platforms encourage users to share their thoughts and experiences
through posts or pictures. In social media too, there are certain etiquettes we need to follow:
Be Secure:
• Choose password wisely: Use strong and frequently changed password. Never share personal credentials like
username and password with others.
• Know who you befriend: We need to be careful while befriending unknown people as their intentions possibly
could be malicious and unsafe.
• Beware of fake information: We should be able to figure out whether a news, message or post is genuine or
fake. Thus, we should not blindly believe in everything that we come across on such platforms.
Be Reliable: Think before uploading. Remember that once uploaded, it is always there in the remote server even if we
delete the files. Hence need to be cautious while uploading or sending sensitive or confidential files which have a
bearing on our privacy.
 Data Protection
Data protection is the process of safeguarding important information from corruption, compromise or loss. Elements of
data that can cause substantial harm, embarrassment, inconvenience and unfairness to an individual, if breached or
compromised, is called sensitive data. Examples of sensitive data include biometric information, health information,
financial information, or other personal documents, images or audios or videos. Privacy of sensitive data can be
implemented by encryption, authentication, and other secure methods to ensure that such data is accessible only to the
authorized user and is for a legitimate purpose.
Each country has its own data protection policies (laws). These policies are legal documents that provide guidelines to
the user on processing, storage and transmission of sensitive information

Intellectual Property Right (IPR)

Intellectual property (IP) refers to creations one’s own mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works, designs,
symbols, names and images/logos used in commerce.
Intellectual Property Rights are the rights of the owner of information to decide how much information is to be
exchanged, shared and distributed. Also it gives the owner a right to decide the price for doing
(exchange/share/distribute) so. The ownership of such concepts lies with the creator, or the holder of the intellectual
property. This enables the creator or copyright owner to earn recognition or financial benefit by using their creation or
invention.
Intellectual property is legally protected through copyrights, patents, trademarks,etc.
Copyright: Copyright grants legal rights to creators for their original works like writing, photograph, audio recordings,
video, sculptures, architectural works, computer software, and other creative works like literary and artistic work.
Copyrights are automatically granted to creators and authors. Copyright law gives the copyright holder a set of rights
that they alone can avail legally. The rights include right to copy (reproduce) a work, right to create derivative works
based upon it, right to distribute copies of the work to the public, and right to publicly display or perform the work. It
prevents others from copying, using or selling the work.

Patent: A patent is usually granted for inventions. Unlike copyright, the inventor needs to apply (file) for patenting the
invention. When a patent is granted, the owner gets an exclusive right to prevent others from using, selling, or
distributing the protected invention. Patent gives full control to the patentee to decide whether or how the invention
can be used by others. A patent protects an invention for 20 years, after which it can be freely used.

Trademark: Trademark includes any visual symbol, word, name, design, slogan, label, etc., that distinguishes the brand
or commercial enterprise, from other brands or commercial enterprises. It also prevents others from using a confusingly
similar mark, including words or phrases. However, it may be possible to apply for the already existing trademark for
unrelated goods (any other goods/products).
Violation of IPR
Violation of intellectual property right may happen in one of the following ways:

Plagiarism: Plagiarism is stealing someone else’s intellectual work (idea, literary work, art etc) and representing it as
your own work without citing the source of information/owner. Even, failing in giving credit or acknowledging the
contribution of others in a collaborative effort/work to which you are also part of is also a Plagiarism. It is a serious
ethical offense and sometimes considered as an act of fraud. Even if we take contents that are open for public use, we
should cite the author or source to avoid plagiarism.

Copyright Infringement: Copyright infringement is when we use other person’s work without obtaining their permission
to use or we have not paid for it, if it is being sold.

Trademark Infringement: Trademark Infringement means unauthorised use of other’s trademark on products and
services. An owner of a trademark may commence legal proceedings against someone who infringes its registered
trademark.
 Public Access and Open Source Software

Copyright sometimes put restriction on the usage of the copyrighted works by anyone else. If others are allowed to use
and built upon the existing work, it will encourage collaboration and would result in new innovations in the same
direction. Licenses provide rules and guidelines for others to use the existing work. When authors share their
copyrighted works with others under public license, it allows others to use and even modify the content.
Broadly the term open source software is used to refer to those categories of software programs whose licenses do not
impose much conditions. Such software, generally, give users freedom to run / use the software for many purpose, to
study and modify the program and to redistribute copies of either the original and modified program (without having to
pay royalties to previous developers).

The GNU General public license (GPL) and the Creative Commons (CC) are two popular categories of public licenses.
GPL (General Public License): GPL is the most widely used free software license which grants the recipients, rights to
copy, modify and redistribute the software and that the same rights are preserved in all derivative works.

CC (Creative Commons): CC licenses are a set of copyright licenses that give the recipients, rights to copy, modify and
redistribute the creative material, but giving the authors, the liberty to decide the conditions of licensing.

GNU GPL: GNU GPL is another free software license, which provides end users the freedom to run, study, share and
modify the software, besides getting regular updates.

Free Software: Free software means the software is freely accessible and can be freely used, changed,
improved, copied and distributed by all who wish to do so. And no payments are needed to be made for free
software.

More precise it refers to four kinds of freedom.

• The freedom to run the program for any purpose (Freedom 0)

• The freedom to study how the program works, and adopt it to your needs (Freedom 1). Access to the
source code is a precondition for this.
• The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor (Freedom 2)
• The freedom to improve the program and release your improvements (modified program) to the
public, so that the whole community benefits (Freedom 3). Access to the source code is precondition
for this.
OSS (Open Source Software): Software whose source code is available and which can be used, modified,
copied and redistributed. There may or may not be charges payable for open source software. Here the
company constructing the business rules around Open Source Software may receive payments concerning
support and further development.

Note: The main difference is that the Free Software emphasis on the importance of Freedom while Open
Source Software emphasis on the importance of technical process and business rules.

FOSS (Free and Open Source Software): A software which is free as well as open belongs to this category.

FLOSS (Free Libre / Livre and Open Source Software) : It refers to a software which is free software as well as
open source software. Here the word libre (Spanish word) and livre (Portuguese word) means freedom.

Freeware: ( note: should not be mistaken for open software or for fee software. It is different)

• The term freeware is generally used for software which is available free of cost and which allows
copying and further distribution but not modification and whose source code is not available.
 • Freeware is distributed in binary form (ready to use) without any licensing fee. Ex. Microsoft Internet
Explorer
• Freeware is often used in marketing situations in order to sell additional products and to gain market
advantages and popularity.
Shareware:

• Made available with the right to use and redistribute copies but often after a certain period of time, a
license fee should be paid. (for trial periods)
• The source code is not available.
• Modifications to the software are not allowed.
• Distributed in binary form (ready to use) and often includes a built-in-timed mechanism or usually
limits functionality after a trial period.
Objective: to make the software available to try for as many users as possible.

Proprietary Software:

• Proprietary software is the software that is neither open nor freely available.
• Its use is regulated and further distribution and modification is either forbidden or requires special
permissions by the supplier or vendor.
• Source code of proprietary software is normally not available.

GNU (GNU’s Not Unix) : Its logotype show a gnu, an animal living in freedom. The GNU project was initiated by
Richard M. Stallman with an objective to create a system compatible with Unix but not identical with it. With
time, GNU project expanded and now it is not limited to only an operating system. Now it offers a wide range
of software including applications apart from operating system.

FSF (Free Software Foundation): It is a non-profit organization created for the purpose of supporting free
software movement. (founded by Richard Stallman)

OSI (Open Source Initiative): It is an organization for the purpose of supporting / promoting open source
software. OSI specifies the criteria for open source software and properly defines the terms and specifications
of open source software. (Founded by Bruce Perens and Erics Raymond)

W3C (World Wide Web Consortium): W3C is responsible for producing the software standards for World
Wide Web. Although industrial members fund W3C, it is vendor-neutral, and its products are freely available
to all.

Cyber Crime
Criminal activities or offences carried out in a digital environment can be considered as cyber crime. In such
crimes, either the computer itself is the target or the computer is used as a tool to commit a crime. Cyber
crimes are carried out against either an individual, or a group, or an organization or even against a country,
with the intent to directly or indirectly cause physical harm, financial loss or mental harassment. A cyber
criminal attacks a computer or a network to reach other computers in order to disable or damage data or
services. Apart from this, a cyber criminal may spread viruses and other malwares in order to steal private and
confidential data for blackmailing and extortion.

Hacking: Hacking is the act of unauthorized access to a computer, computer network or any digital system.
Hackers usually have technical expertise of the hardware and software. They look for bugs to exploit and
break into the system.
Hacking, when done with a positive intent, is called ethical hacking. Such ethical hackers are known as white
hat hackers. They are specialists in exploring any vulnerability or loophole during testing of the software. Thus,
they help in improving the security of a software or website.
A non-ethical hacker is the one who tries to gain unauthorized access to computers or networks in order to
steal sensitive data with the intent to damage or bring down systems. They are called black hat hackers or
crackers. Their primary focus is on security cracking and data stealing. They use their skill for illegal or
malicious purposes. Such hackers try to break through system securities for identity theft, monetary gain, to
bring a competitor or rival site down, to leak sensitive information, etc.

Phishing (Fraud Emails): It is the act of illegally acquiring personal and sensitive information such as online banking
details, credit card details, login details from a individual, using an authenticate looking email id or website. Phishing
attempts through phone calls or text messages are also common these days.

Identity Theft: Identity theft is the deliberate use of someone else's identity, usually as a method to gain a financial
advantage or obtain credit and other benefits in the other person's name, and perhaps to the other person's
disadvantage or loss. Identity thieves increasingly use personal information stolen from computers or computer
networks, to commit fraud by using the data gained unlawfully. A user’s identifiable personal data like demographic
details, email ID, banking credentials, passport, PAN, Aadhaar number and various such personal data are stolen and
misused by the hacker on behalf of the victim.
Given below are a few examples:
• Financial identity theft: when the stolen identity is used for financial gain.
• Criminal identity theft: criminals use a victim’s stolen identity to avoid detection of their true identity.
• Medical identity theft: criminals can seek medical drugs or treatment using a stolen identity.

Ransomware: This is another kind of cyber crime where the attacker gains access to the computer and blocks the user
from accessing, usually by encrypting the data. The attacker blackmails the victim to pay for getting access to the data,
or sometimes threaten to publish personal and sensitive information or photographs unless a ransom is paid.
Ransomware can get downloaded when the users visit any malicious or unsecure websites or download software from
doubtful repositories. Some ransomware are sent as email attachments in spam mails. It can also reach our system
when we click on a malicious advertisement on the Internet.
Dumpster Diving: It is the process of searching trash to obtain useful information about a person/business that can later
be used for the hacking purpose.

Shoulder Surfing: Shoulder surfing refers to the act of obtaining personal (ATM PIN, CREDIT CARD TRANSACTION) while
filling a form or the lock code of a phone by personal observation. This is especially effective in crowded places where a
person uses a computer, smartphone or ATM. If shoulder surfing occurs when there are very few people, the act
becomes suspicious very quickly. Binoculars, video cameras and vision-enhancing devices also are used, depending on
location and situation.

Cookies: Cookies are small data files, which are sent by the website you visit, used to track your record of visit to a
particular website.

Malware: Any malicious program on a computer or mobile device such as virus, worm, Trojan horse, spyware etc. are
collectively called Malware.

Virus: A computer virus is some lines of malicious code that can copy/multiply itself and can have detrimental effect on
the computers, by destroying data or corrupting the system.
1. It is able to replicate
2. It requires a host program to live
 3. It is activated by external process (virus may exist on a system but will not be active or able to spread until a user
runs or opens the malicious host file or program.)

Worms: A worm is a self replicating program which eats up the entire disk space or memory. A worm keeps on creating
its copies until all the disk space or memory is filled. Ex. Super-nova, Mydoom, Melissa etc.
1. It is able to replicate
2. It is self-contained and does not require any host.
3. It is activated by creating process (it needs a multitasking system)

Spam / Spamming: Spamming refers to the sending of bulk mail by an identified or unidentified source. In non-malicious
form, bulk advertising mail is sent to many accounts. In malicious form (eg. Email bombing), the attacker keeps on
sending bulk mail until the mail server runs out of disk space.
How to avoid spams:
1. Create a filter that finds and does something to e-mail that you suspect to spam.
2. Do not register yourself with true id to sign up for things on internet.

Spyware: Spyware is a software which is installed on your computer to spy on your activities and report this data to
people willing to pay for it. These are used to spy on some-one either for legal or illegal purpose. Ex. Cool web search,
Zango etc. Some anti-spy software: AVG-Anti-spyware, Zone Alarm firewall, Microsoft Anti-spyware etc.

Adware: These are the programs that deliver unwanted ads to your computer (generally in pop-up form). They consume
your network bandwidth.

Trojan Horses: A Trojan horse is a program that appears harmless (such as text editor, utility software, game etc) but
actually performs malicious functions such as deleting or damaging files.

Sweeper: This is another malicious program used by hackers. It sweeps or deletes all the data from the system.

Denial of Services: This type of attack eats up all the resources of a system and the system or application come to halt.
These are the attacks which prevent the legitimate users of the system, from accessing or using the resources,
information or the capabilities of the system.

Combatting and Preventing Cyber Crime

The challenges of cyber crime can be mitigated with the twin approach of being alert and taking legal help. Following
points can be considered as safety measures to reduce the risk of cyber crime:
• Take regular backup of important data.
• Use an antivirus software and keep it updated always.
• Avoid installing pirated software. Always download software from known and secure (HTTPS) sites.
• Always update the system software which include the Internet browser and other application software.
• Do not visit or download anything from un-trusted websites.
• Usually the browser alerts users about doubtful websites whose security certificate could not be verified; avoid
visiting such sites.
• Use strong password for web login, and change it periodically. Do not use same password for all the websites.
Use different combinations of alphanumeric characters including special characters. Ignore common words or
names in password.
• While using someone else’s computer, don’t allow browser to save password or auto fill data, and try to browse
in your private browser window For an unknown site, do not agree to use cookies when asked for, through a
Yes/No option.
• Perform online transaction like shopping, ticketing, and other such services only through well-known and secure
sites
• Always secure wireless network at home with strong password and regularly change it.
 Information Technology Act (IT –Act)
With the growth of Internet, many cases of cyber crimes, frauds, cyber attacks and cyber bullying are reported. The
nature of fraudulent activities and crimes keeps changing. To deal with such menaces, many countries have come up
with legal measures for protection of sensitive personal data and to safeguard the rights of Internet users. The
Government of India’s Information Technology Act, 2000 (also known as IT Act), amended in 2008, provides guidelines
to the user on the processing, storage and transmission of sensitive information. In many Indian states, there are cyber
cells in police stations where one can report any cyber crime. The act provides legal framework for electronic
governance by giving recognition to electronic records and digital signatures. The act outlines cyber crimes and penalties
for them.
Cyber Appellate Tribunal has been established to resolve disputes arising from cyber crime, such as tampering with
computer source documents, hacking the computer system, using password of another person, publishing sensitive
personal data of others without their consent, etc. The act is needed so that people can perform transactions over the
Internet through credit cards without fear of misuse. Not only people, the act empowers government departments also
to accept filing, creation and storage of official documents in the digital format.

Impact on Health: As digital technologies have penetrated into different fields, we are spending more time in front of
screens, be it mobile, laptop, desktop, television, gaming console, music or sound device. But interacting in an improper
posture can be bad for us — both physically, and mentally. Besides, spending too much time on Internet can be
addictive and can have a negative impact on our physical and psychological well being. However, these health concerns
can be addressed to some extent by taking care of the way we position such devices and the way we position our
posture.
Ergonomics is a branch of science that deals with designing or arranging workplaces including the furniture, equipments
and systems so that it becomes safe and comfortable for the user. Ergonomics helps us in reducing the strain on our
bodies — including the fatigue and injuries due to prolonged use. When we continuously look at the screen for
watching, typing, chatting or playing games, our eyes are continuously exposed to the glare coming from the screens.
Looking at small handheld devices makes it worse. Eye strain is a symptom commonly complained by users of digital
devices. Ergonomically maintaining the viewing distance and angle, along with the position can be of some help.
The figure shows the posture to be
maintained in order to avoid fatigue
caused due to prolonged use of computer
system and other digital devices. However,
to get rid of dry, watering, or itchy eyes, it
is better to periodically focus on distant
objects, and take a break for outdoor
activities.
Bad posture, backaches, neck and
shoulder pains can be prevented by
arranging the workspace as recommended
by ergonomics. Overuse of keyboards (be
it physical keyboard or touch-screen-base
d virtual keyboard) not aligned
ergonomically, can give rise to a painful
condition of wrists and fingers, and may
require medical help in the long run.
Stress, physical fatigue and obesity are the
other related impacts the body may face if
one spends too much time using digital
devices.