MODULE 4: THE NETIQUETTE AND THE COMPUTER ETHICS

Overview

The Netiquette and The Computer Ethics discusses the ethical issues in the field of computers. May it be
online or practicing in professional.

Objectives

At the end of this module, you should be able to:

 Discuss the importance of being a responsible netizen by following the rules of common courtesy online
and the informal “rules of the road” of cyberspace.
 Discuss the difference between privacy and security.
 Explain various risks to internet privacy.

Lesson 1: Netiquette

What is Netiquette?
What is Netiquette? Simply stated, it’s network etiquette – that is the etiquette of cyberspace and
“etiquette” means the forms of required by good breeding or prescribed by authority to be required in
social or official life. In other words, netiquette is a set of rules for behaving properly online.

Netiquette, or network etiquette, is concerned with the "proper" way to communicate in an online
environment. Consider the following "rules," adapted from Virginia Shea's the Core Rules of Netiquette,
whenever you communicate in the virtual world.

When you use e-mail, instant messenger, video calls, or discussion boards to communicate with others
online, please be sure to follow the rules of professional online communications known as netiquette.
These rules will help you communicate with instructors, classmates, and potential employers more
effectively and will help prevent misunderstandings.

REMEMBER THE GOLDEN RULE – Even though you may be interacting with a computer screen, you are
communicating with a real person who will react to your message. Make a good impression - treat others
with the same respect that you would like to receive and avoid confrontational or offensive language.

To help convey meaning when creating messages, it is sometimes acceptable to include appropriate
emoticon symbols, such as a smiley face :). However, for professional communications, these would be
inappropriate.

AVOID SLANG, ACRONYMS, AND TEXT TALK – Communicating effectively in college and business
environments requires the use of correct terminology, spelling, and grammar that can easily be
understood. For example, use “your” instead of “ur”.

AVOID “SCREAMING” IN TYPED MESSAGES – Typing an entire message using all capital letters is known
as “screaming.” It is distracting and generally frowned upon in professional environments. It is better to

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draw emphasis to selected words or phrases by: using italic or bold text; using a different color for text or
background color; or denoting emphasis using special characters (Example: Important).

PROOFREAD YOUR MESSAGES BEFORE SENDING THEM – Proofreading your messages before you send
them is a best practice for effective and efficient communication. Strive to make your communications
concise and free of any:

 Spelling and grammar errors

 Confusing terms or phrases that could be misunderstood
 Errors of omission, such as missing content or recipients
 Errors in accuracy of information

EXERCISE GOOD JUDGMENT WHEN SHARING INFORMATION WITH OTHERS ONLINE – E-mail and chat
messages that you send or receive are considered private and should not be forwarded or copied to
others without gaining the consent of all involved participants. In general, messages posted to discussion
boards and social media sites can be read by the public. You may never know who might read or share
what you post. It is a good practice to always ask a post’s author for permission before sharing a post
with other parties.

 To protect your privacy and safety, do not share online any sensitive personal information such as:
o Your home address or phone number
o Personal conversations
o Social plans, such as vacations
o Financial information
o Usernames, passwords, or hints
o Anything personal that you would not want shared by others over the Internet

 If the material you share with others online came from another source, make every effort to gain
permission from the original author or copyright holder. Copying someone else's work and passing
it off as your own is plagiarism. It damages your reputation and could subject you to serious
academic and legal consequences.

RESPECT DIVERSITY IN VIEWPOINTS - Be constructive and respectful when sharing opinions, beliefs, and
criticisms, or responding to those of others in the conversation.

 When sharing a viewpoint that differs from someone else’s, it is a best practice to first acknowledge the
other person by briefly restating what he or she said, but in your own words. This lets the person know
that you are listening and trying to understand them.
 When presenting an opinion or criticism, it is helpful to use phrases that identify to whose point of view
you are referring. If the opinion is yours, you can begin with the phrase “In my experience” or “In my
opinion”. If it is a viewpoint of someone else, make sure you identify that in your message (Example:
“According to Eric Ericson,” or “The president believes”).

Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics

a) Rule 1: Remember the Human

When communicating electronically, whether through email, instant message, discussion post, text, or

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some other method, practice the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.
Remember, your written words are read by real people, all deserving of respectful communication.
Before you press "send" or "submit," ask yourself, "Would I be okay with this if someone else had written
it?"

b) Rule 2: Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life
While it can be argued that standards of behavior may be different in the virtual world, they certainly
should not be lower. You should do your best to act within the laws and ethical manners of society
whenever you inhabit "cyberspace." Would you behave rudely to someone face-to-face? On most
occasions, no. Neither should you behave this way in the virtual world.

c) Rule 3: Know where you are in cyberspace

"Netiquette varies from domain to domain." (Shea, 1994) Depending on where you are in the virtual
world, the same written communication can be acceptable in one area, where it might be considered
inappropriate in another. What you text to a friend may not be appropriate in an email to a classmate or
colleague. Can you think of another example?

d) Rule 4: Respect other people's time and bandwidth

Electronic communication takes time: time to read and time in which to respond. Most people today lead
busy lives, just like you do, and don't have time to read or respond to frivolous emails or discussion posts.
As a virtual world communicator, it is your responsibility to make sure that the time spent reading your
words isn't wasted. Make your written communication meaningful and to the point, without extraneous
text or superfluous graphics or attachments that may take forever to download.

e) Rule 5: Make yourself look good online

One of the best things about the virtual world is the lack of judgment associated with your physical
appearance, sound of your voice, or the clothes you wear (unless you post a video of yourself singing
Karaoke in a clown outfit.) You will, however, be judged by the quality of your writing, so keep the
following tips in mind:

 Always check for spelling and grammar errors

 Know what you're talking about and state it clearly
 Be pleasant and polite

f) Rule 6: Share expert knowledge

The Internet offers its users many benefits; one is the ease in which information can be shared or
accessed and in fact, this "information sharing" capability is one of the reasons the Internet was founded.
So, in the spirit of the Internet's "founding fathers," share what you know! When you post a question and
receive intelligent answers, share the results with others. Are you an expert at something? Post resources
and references about your subject matter. Recently expanded your knowledge about a subject that might
be of interest to others? Share that as well.

g) Rule 7: Help keep flame wars under control

What is meant by "flaming" and "flame wars?" "Flaming is what people do when they express a strongly
held opinion without holding back any emotion." (Shea, 1994). As an example, think of the kinds of
passionate comments you might read on a sports blog. While "flaming" is not necessarily forbidden in
virtual communication, "flame wars," when two or three people exchange angry posts between one

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another, must be controlled or the camaraderie of the group could be compromised. Don't feed the
flames; extinguish them by guiding the discussion back to a more productive direction.

h) Rule 8: Respect other people's privacy

Depending on what you are reading in the virtual world, be it an online class discussion forum, Facebook
page, or an email, you may be exposed to some private or personal information that needs to be handled
with care. Perhaps someone is sharing some medical news about a loved one or discussing a situation at
work. What do you think would happen if this information "got into the wrong hands?" Embarrassment?
Hurt feelings? Loss of a job? Just as you expect others to respect your privacy, so should you respect the
privacy of others. Be sure to err on the side of caution when deciding to discuss or not to discuss virtual
communication.

i) Rule 9: Don't abuse your power

Just like in face-to-face situations, there are people in cyberspace who have more "power" than others.
They have more expertise in technology or they have years of experience in a particular skill or subject
matter. Maybe it's you who possesses all of this knowledge and power! Just remember: knowing more
than others do or having more power than others may have does not give you the right to take advantage
of anyone or to take control of a situation in the virtual world.

j) Rule 10: Be forgiving of other people's mistakes

Not everyone has the same amount of experience working in the virtual world. Maybe someone posted
to a discussion forum without first reading the assignment directions, or maybe they spelled a word
wrong. Try not to hold it against them. If you do decide to inform someone of a mistake, point it out
politely and in private, rather than in public.

Lesson 2: Cybercrimes

What is Cyber? It is the characteristics of the culture of computers, information, technology, and virtual
reality.

Cybercrime is defined as a crime in which a computer is the object of the crime (hacking, phishing,
spamming, and child pornography) or is used as a tool to commit an offense.

Cybercriminals may use computer technology to access personal information, business trade secrets, or
use the internet for exploitative or malicious purposes.

Republic Act No. 10175 Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 is a law in the Philippines, approved on
September 12, 2012, which aims to address legal issues concerning online interactions and the internet.

Republic Act No. 10173 Data Privacy Act of 2012 is an act protecting individual personal information.

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Common Forms of Cybercrimes:

a. Copyright The exclusive legal right given to an originator or an assignee to print, publish, perform, film,
or record literary, artistic, or musical material, and to authorize others to do the same.

Copyright infringement is the violation, piracy, or theft of a copyright holder's exclusive rights through the
unauthorized use of a copyrighted material or work.

b. Plagiarism An act or instance of using or closely imitating the language and thoughts of another author
without authorization.

c. Computer Addiction

 Offline: Generally used when speaking about excessive gaming behavior, which can be practiced both
offline and online.
 Online: Also known as “Internet Addiction”, it gets more attention in general from scientific research than
offline computer addiction, mainly because most cases of computer addiction are related to the excessive
use of the internet. Virtual Self - The persona you create about yourself virtually.

Criminal Activities

a. Hacking

 Unauthorized access of or interference with computer systems, servers, or other information and
communication systems.
 Unauthorized access to corrupt alters, steal, or destroy electronic data using computers or other
information and communications systems without the computer or system owner’s knowledge and
consent.
 The introduction of computer viruses resulting in the corruption, alteration, theft, or loss of such data.
 Illegal Access
 Illegal Interception
 Data Interference
 System Interference
 Misuse of Devices
 Infection of IT Systems with Malware – if the act is committed against critical infrastructure of the
Philippines, the penalty is between 12-20 years of reclusion temporal.
 Six years up to twelve years of imprisonment, also known as prison mayor.

b. Computer-related Forgery, Fraud, and/or Identity Theft

 An attempt to obtain sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details (and
indirectly money), often for malicious reasons.

 Phishing
 Pharming
 Spam
 Maximum of Php 200,000 fine or prison mayor

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c. Electronic theft

 Illegal Downloading
 Obtaining files that you do not have the right to use from the internet.
 Digital Piracy
 Practice of illegally copying and selling digital music, video, computer software, etc.
 Copyright Infringement
 Penalty of Php 50,000–500,000 and/or prison mayor

d. Cyberbullying

 The use of electronic communication to bully a person, typically by sending a message of an

intimidating or threatening nature.
 The Anti-Bullying Act of 2013 (RA 10627)

e. Cybersex

 Willful engagement, maintenance, control, or operation, directly or indirectly, of any lascivious

exhibition of sexual organs or sexual activity with the aid of a computer system for favor or
consideration.
 There is a discussion on this matter if it involves “couples” or “people in a relationship” who
engage in cybersex.
 Penalty of at least Php 200,000 and/or prison mayor

f. Child Pornography

 Is a form of child sexual exploitation.

 Unlawful or prohibited acts defined and punishable by Republic Act No. 9775 or the Anti-Child
Pornography Act of 2009, committed through a computer system.
 Penalty of 12-20 years of imprisonment or reclusion temporal

g. Cyber Defamation

 Is an unprivileged false statement of fact which tends to harm the reputation of a person or
company.
 Penalty of 6-12 years of imprisonment or prison mayor.

Lesson 3: Internet Threats

Hacking

Hacking is a term used to describe actions taken by someone to gain unauthorized access to a computer.
The availability of information online on tools, techniques, and malware makes it easier for even non-
technical people to undertake malicious activities. It is the process by which cybercriminals gain access to
your computer.

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What it can do:

 Find weaknesses (or pre-existing bugs) in your security settings and exploit them in order to access your
information.
 Install a Trojan horse, providing a backdoor for hackers to enter and search for your information.

Malware

Malware is one of the more common ways to infiltrate or damage your computer. It includes malicious
software that infects your computer, such as computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, spyware, and
adware.

What it can do:

 Intimidate you with scareware, which is usually a pop-up message that tells you your computer has a
security problem or other false information.
 Reformat the hard drive of your computer, causing you to lose all your information.
 Alter or delete files.
 Steal sensitive information.
 Send emails on your behalf.
 Take control of your computer and all the software running on it.

Pharming

Pharming is a common type of online fraud. It redirects you to a malicious and illegitimate website even if
you enter a legitimate URL correctly.

What it can do:

 Convince you that the site is real and legitimate by spoofing or looking almost identical to the actual site,
down to the smallest details. You may enter your personal information and unknowingly give it to
someone with malicious intent.

Phishing

Phishing is used most often by cybercriminals because it's easy to execute and can produce the results
they're looking for with very little effort. It involves fake emails, text messages, and websites created to
look like they're from authentic companies. They're sent by criminals to steal personal and financial
information from you. This is also known as “spoofing.”

What it does:

 Trick you into giving them information by asking you to update, validate, or confirm your account. It is
often presented in a manner that seems official and intimidating, to encourage you to take action.

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  Provides cybercriminals with your username and passwords so that they can access your accounts (your
online bank account, shopping accounts, etc.) and steal your credit card numbers.

Ransomware

Ransomware is a type of malware that restricts access to your computer or your files and displays a
message that demands payment in order for the restriction to be removed. The two most common
means of infection are phishing emails with malicious attachments and website pop-up advertisements.

What it can do:

 There are two common types of ransomware:

o Lockscreen ransomware: Displays an image that prevents you from accessing your computer.
o Encryption ransomware: Encrypts files on your system's hard drive and sometimes on shared
network drives, USB drives, external hard drives, and even some cloud storage drives, preventing
you from opening them.
 Ransomware will display a notification stating that your computer or data have been locked and demand a
payment to regain access. Sometimes the notification states that authorities have detected illegal activity
on your computer, and that the payment is a fine to avoid prosecution.

What you can do:

 Do not pay the ransom. These threats are meant to scare and intimidate you, and they do not come from a
law enforcement agency. Even if you submit payment, there is no guarantee that you will regain access to
your system.
 If your computer has been infected (i.e., you are unable to access your computer or your files have been
encrypted), contact a reputable computer technician or specialist to find out whether your computer can
be repaired and your data retrieved.
 In order to lessen the impact of a ransomware infection, be sure to regularly back up your data with a
removable external storage drive. It's possible that your files might be irretrievable; having an up-to-date
backup could be invaluable.

Spam

Spam is a common method of both sending information out and collecting it from unsuspecting people. It
involves the mass distribution of unsolicited messages, advertising, or pornography to addresses that can
be easily found on the Internet through things like social networking sites, company websites, and
personal blogs.

What it can do:

 Annoy you with unwanted junk mail.

 Create a burden for communications service providers and businesses to filter electronic messages.
 Phish for your information by tricking you into following links or entering details with too-good-to-be-true
offers and promotions.
 Provide a vehicle for malware, scams, fraud, and threats to your privacy.

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Spyware (Spyware & Adware)

Spyware and adware are often used by third parties to infiltrate your computer.

What it is: Software that collects personal information about you without your knowledge. They often
come in the form of a ‘free’ download and are installed automatically with or without your consent.
These are difficult to remove and can infect your computer with viruses.

What it can do:

 Collect information about you without you knowing and give it to third parties.
 Send your usernames, passwords, surfing habits, list of applications you've downloaded, settings, and even
the version of your operating system to third parties.
 Change the way your computer runs without your knowledge.
 Take you to unwanted sites or inundate you with uncontrollable pop-up ads.

Trojan Horses

A Trojan horse is a malicious program that is disguised as, or embedded within, legitimate software. It is
an executable file that will install itself and run automatically once it’s downloaded.

What it can do:

 Delete your files.

 Use your computer to hack other computers.
 Watch you through your webcam.
 Log your keystrokes (such as a credit card number you enter in an online purchase).
 Record usernames, passwords, and other personal information.

Viruses

Most people have heard of computer viruses, but not many know exactly what they are or what they do.
Viruses are malicious computer programs that are often sent as email attachments or downloads with the
intent of infecting your computer, as well as the computers of everyone in your contact list. Just visiting a
site can start an automatic download of a virus.

What they can do:

 Send spam.
 Provide criminals with access to your computer and contact lists.
 Scan and find personal information like passwords on your computer.
 Hijack your web browser.
 Disable your security settings.
 Display unwanted ads.

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  When a program is running, the virus attached to it could infiltrate your hard drive and also spread to USB
keys and external hard drives. Any attachment you create using this program and send to someone else
could also infect them with the virus.

How will you know if your computer is infected? Here are a few things to check for:

 It takes longer than usual for your computer to start up, it restarts on its own, or doesn't start up at all.
 It takes a long time to launch a program.
 Files and data have disappeared.
 Your system and programs crash constantly.
 The homepage you set on your web browser is different (note that this could be caused by adware that has
been installed on your computer).
 Web pages are slow to load.
 Your computer screen looks distorted.
 Programs are running without your control.
 If you suspect a problem, make sure your security software is up to date and run it to check for infection. If
nothing is found, or if you are unsure of what to do, seek technical help.

Wi-Fi Eavesdropping

Wi-Fi eavesdropping is another method used by cybercriminals to capture personal information. It

involves virtually “listening in” on information that's shared over an unsecure (not encrypted) Wi-Fi
network.

What it can do:

 Potentially access your computer with the right equipment.

 Steal your personal information, including logins and passwords.

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