CHAPTER ONE

Computers, Ethics, and

Social Values

Prof. Hatem Abd-Elkader

Dr. Sherif M. Tawfik
1
 Learning Objectives
1. Introduction
2. Ethics in Society
3. Definition of computer ethics
4. Rationale for studying computer ethics
5. History of Computer Ethics
6. The Ten Commandments of computer ethics
7. Computer Ethics Topics
 Computers in the Workplace
 Privacy and Anonymity
 Computer Crime
 Intellectual Property
 Professional Responsibility
 Globalization
 The computer security

2
 Learning Objectives
8. Case Studies
9. Why are we discussing this?
10. Organizations of Computing Professionals That Have Ethical
Codes
11. Common Themes of Computer Society Codes
12. ACM (Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct)

3
 Introduction
• Most everyone shares “core values”, desiring:
– Life
– Happiness
– Ability to accomplish goals
• Two ways to view world
– Selfish point of view: consider only your own self and
your core values
– Ethical point of view: respect other people and their
core values

4
 Ethics in Society
• Society
– An association of people organized under a system of
rules designed to advance the good of its members
over time
– Ethics vs. Morals. ... While they are sometimes used
interchangeably, they are different: ethics refer to
rules provided by an external source, e.g., codes of
conduct in workplaces or principles in religion
religions. Morals refer to an individual's own
principles regarding right and wrong.
5
 Computer Ethics
• Computer ethics deals with the procedures, values
and practices that govern the process of consuming
computing technology and its related disciplines
without damaging or violating the moral values
and beliefs of any individual, organization or
entity.
• In another words, Computer ethics is a concept in
ethics that addresses the ethical issues and
constraints that arise from the use of computers,
and how they can be mitigated or prevented.
6
 Rationale for studying Computer
Ethics
• New entities: programmes, software, microchips,
Websites, video games, the Cloud
• Scale of organised activity: data collection, calculation,
statistical analysis
• Scale of calculations: new types of knowledge in fields
such as meteorology, economics, military technology
• Inherent unreliability of computer systems: new ways of
thinking about risk, accountability and liability
• Power and pervasiveness: dependency on computers for
all aspects of modern living.
7
 Rationale for studying Computer
Ethics
• As in the previous slide, Computer and information
technology raises many (often new) ethical questions
about the right ways of uses of this new technology.

• Most people, including computer professionals, are

vaguely aware of these technology related ethical
questions.

• Policies and laws lag behind the technology.

• Extending the ordinary or traditional moral principles to

situations created by computer and information
technology is often awkward and/or inadequate. 8
 History of Computer Ethics
• MIT professor Norbert Wiener WWII (early
1940s)

“second industrial revolution “

the integration of computer technology into
society will eventually constitute the
remaking of society
9
 History of Computer Ethics
Mid 1960s, Donn Parker of SRI
“when people entered the computer center they
left their ethics at the door”
Late 1960s, Joseph Weizenbaum (MIT)
inspired many thinkers and projects in computer
ethics
Mid 1970s, Walter Maner
inquiry dealing with ethical problems
aggravated, transformed or created by computer
technology
10
 History of Computer Ethics
By the 1980s, a number of social and ethical
consequences of IT going public:
 computer-enabled crime
 disasters caused by computer failures
 invasions of privacy via computer databases
 major law suits regarding software ownership

11
 History of Computer Ethics
Mid 80’s
James Moor (Dartmouth College) published
influential article "What Is Computer
Ethics?"
Deborah Johnson published Computer
Ethics, the first textbook

12
 James Moor
• Professionals face new ethical questions
because the use of computer technology
• "vacuum of rules or policies" leaves these
computer professions with no guidance
• Advocates a coherent conceptual framework
within which to formulate a policy for
computer ethics
• Unique
13
 History of Computer Ethics
1990’s
new university courses, research centers,
conferences, journals, articles and textbooks
appeared, and a wide diversity of additional
scholars and topics became involved.
Computer Professionals for Social Responsibi
lity

14
 John Barlow
"Coming into the County"
• Cyberspace - a vast continent with no end
to its dimensions
• Need for "new social contracts for the
digital domain"
• Concern for: privacy issues, freedom of
expression, economic opportunity, and
property rights, cultural implications of the
technology
15
 Donald Gotterbarn
Responsibility Regained
• Little progress due to no "coherent concept
of the subject"
• Computer ethics should focus on the actions
that lie within the "control of individual
moral computer professionals"
• Not Unique
• Computer ethics as rules and judgments
professionals make within specific contexts
16
 The Ten Commandments of
computer ethics
1. Don’t use a computer to harm other people.
2. Don’t interfere with other people's computer work.
3. Don’t snoop around in other people's computer files.
4. Don’t use a computer to steal.
5. Do not contribute to the spread of misinformation using
computer technology.
6. Don’t copy or use proprietary software for which you
have not paid (without permission).

17
 The Ten Commandments of
computer ethics
7. Don’t use other people's computer resources without
authorization or proper compensation.
8. Don’t appropriate other people's intellectual output.
9. Think about the social consequences of the program
you are writing or the system you are designing.
10. Always use a computer in ways that ensure
consideration and respect for your fellow humans

18
 The Ten Commandments of
computer ethics
1. Don’t use a computer to harm other people.
– This commandment says that it is unethical to use a computer to
harm another user. It is not limited to physical injury. It includes
harming or corrupting other users' data or files.
– The commandment states that it is wrong to use a computer to steal
someone's personal information. Manipulating or destroying files of
other users is ethically wrong. It is unethical to write programs,
which on execution lead to stealing, copying or gaining unauthorized
access to other users' data.
– Being involved in practices like hacking, spamming, phishing or
cyber bullying does not conform to computer ethics.

19
 The Ten Commandments of
computer ethics
2. Don’t interfere with other people's computer work.
– Computer software can be used in ways that disturb other users or
disrupt their work.
– Viruses, for example, are programs meant to harm useful computer
programs or interfere with the normal functioning of a computer.
– Malicious software can disrupt the functioning of computers in more
ways than one. It may overload computer memory through excessive
consumption of computer resources, thus slowing its functioning. It
may cause a computer to function wrongly or even stop working.
– Using malicious software to attack a computer is unethical.

20
 The Ten Commandments of
computer ethics
3. Don’t snoop around in other people's computer files.
– We know it is wrong to read someone's personal letters. On the same
lines, it is wrong to read someone else's email messages or files.
– Obtaining data from another person's private files or reading someone
else's personal messages is the invasion of his privacy.
– There are exceptions to this. For example, spying is necessary and
cannot be called unethical when it is done against illegitimate use of
computers. For example, intelligence agencies working on cybercrime
cases need to spy on the internet activity of suspects.

21
 The Ten Commandments of
computer ethics
4. Don’t use a computer to steal.
– Stealing sensitive information or leaking confidential information is
as good as robbery. It is wrong to acquire personal information of
employees from an employee database or patient history from a
hospital database or other such information that is meant to be
confidential.
– Similarly, breaking into a bank account to collect information about
the account or account holder is wrong.
– Illegal electronic transfer of funds is a type of fraud. With the use of
technology, stealing of information is much easier. Computers can
be used to store stolen information.

22
 The Ten Commandments of
computer ethics
5. Do not contribute to the spread of misinformation using computer
technology.
– Spread of information has become viral today, because of the Internet. This also
means that false news or rumors can spread speedily through social networking
sites or emails.
– Being involved in the circulation of incorrect information is unethical. Mails and
pop-ups are commonly used to spread the wrong information or give false alerts
with the only intent of selling products.
– Mails from untrusted sources advertising certain products or spreading some
hard-to-believe information, are not uncommon. Direct or indirect involvement in
the circulation of false information is ethically wrong. Giving wrong information
can hurt other parties or organizations that are affected by that particular theme.

23
 The Ten Commandments of
computer ethics
6. Don’t copy or use proprietary software for which you
have not paid (without permission).
– Like any other artistic or literary work, software is copyrighted.
– A piece of code is the original work of the individual who
created it. It is copyrighted in his/her name.
– In case of a developer writing software for the organization she
works for, the organization holds the copyright for it.
– Copyright holds true unless its creators announce it is not.
Obtaining illegal copies of copyrighted software is unethical
and also encourages others to make copies illegally.

24
 The Ten Commandments of
computer ethics
7. Don’t use other people's computer resources without
authorization or proper compensation.
– Multi-user systems have user specific passwords.
– Breaking into some other user's password, thus intruding his/her
private space is unethical.
– It is not ethical to hack passwords for gaining unauthorized
access to a password-protected computer system.
– Accessing data that you are not authorized to access or gaining
access to another user's computer without her permission is not
ethical.

25
 The Ten Commandments of
computer ethics
8. Don’t appropriate other people's intellectual output.
– Programs developed by a software developer are her property.
– If he is working with an organization, they are the organization's
property.
– Copying them and propagating them in one's own name is
unethical.
– This applies to any creative work, program or design.
Establishing ownership on a work which is not yours is ethically
wrong.

26
 The Ten Commandments of
computer ethics
9. Think about the social consequences of the program you are writing or
the system you are designing.
– A computer software on release, reaches millions. Software like video games
and animations or educational software can have a social impact on their users.
– When working on animation films or designing video games, for example, it is
the programmer's responsibility to understand his target audience/users and the
effect it may have on them.
– For example, a computer game for kids should not have content that can
influence them negatively. Similarly, writing malicious software is ethically
wrong.
– A software developer/development firm should consider the influence their
code can have on the society at large.

27
 The Ten Commandments of
computer ethics
10. Always use a computer in ways that ensure consideration and
respect for your fellow humans
– The communication etiquette we follow in the real world applies to
communication over computers as well.
– While communicating over the Internet, one should treat others with
respect.
– One should not intrude others' private space, use abusive language,
make false statements or pass irresponsible remarks about others.
– One should be courteous while communicating over the web and should
respect others' time and resources.
– Also, one should be considerate with a novice computer user.

28
 Computer Ethics Topics
Computers in the Workplace
Privacy and Anonymity
Computer Crime
Intellectual Property
Professional Responsibility
Globalization
The computer security
29
 Computers in the Workplace
• LOST JOBS: Economic incentives to
replace humans with computerized devices
are very high
• NEW JOBS: Computer industry already has
generated a wide variety of new jobs
• ALTERED JOBS:
– “de-skilling”
– New skilled jobs

30
 Privacy and Anonymity
• Mid-1960s
the American government already had created large
databases of information about private citizens - census
data, tax records, military service records, welfare records,
and so on.
This raise the importance of information systems
ethics

31
 Information Systems Ethics
• Privacy
– Protecting one’s personal information
• Identity theft
– Stealing of another’s social security number, credit card number, or other
personal information
• Information accuracy
– Deals with authentication and fidelity of information
• Information property
– Deals with who owns information about individuals and how information
can be sold and exchanged

32
 Information Systems Ethics
• Information accessibility
– Deals with what information a person has the right to obtain
about others and how the information can be used
• Issues in information accessibility
– Carnivore: software application designed to be connected to
Internet Service Providers’ computers and eavesdrops on all
communications.
– Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA): it offered
stronger support for voice mail than it did for e-mail. No other
laws at federal or state levels protect e-mail privacy
– Monitoring e-mail
33
 Information Systems Ethics
• The need for a code of ethical conduct
– Business ethics
– Plagiarism
– Cybersquatting: registering a domain name and then
trying to sell the name for big bucks to a person,
company. Domain names are a scarce resource – one of
the few scarce resources in cyberspace

34
 Computer Crime
• Definition: the act of using a computer to
commit an illegal act
– Authorized and unauthorized computer access
– Examples
• Stealing time on company computers
• Breaking into government Web sites
• Stealing credit card information

35
 Computer Crime
• Federal and State Laws
– Stealing or compromising data
– Gaining unauthorized computer access
– Violating data belonging to banks
– Intercepting communications
– Threatening to damage computer systems
– Disseminating viruses

36
 Computer Crime
• Hacking and Cracking
– Hacker – one who gains unauthorized computer access,
but without doing damage
– Cracker – one who breaks into computer systems for the
purpose of doing damage

37
 Computer Crime
• Who commits computer crime?

38
 Computer Crime
• Computer viruses and destructive code
– Virus – a destructive program that disrupts the normal
functioning of computer systems
– Types:
• Worm: usually does not destroy files; copies itself
• Trojan horses: Activates without being detected; does
not copy itself
• Logic or time bombs: A type of Trojan horse that stays
dormant for a period of time before activating

39
 Intellectual Property
• Free Software Foundation - software
ownership should not be allowed at all.
• One can own the following aspects of a
program:
– source code
– object code
– algorithm

40
 Professional Responsibility
• Computer professionals find themselves in a
variety of professional relationships with other
people
• Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and
the
Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers
(IEEE), have established codes of ethics,
curriculum guidelines and accreditation
requirements
41
 Globalization
“Computer ethics” evolving into “global
information ethics”
Global Laws
Global Cyberbusiness
Global Education
Information Rich and Information Poor

42
 Computer Security
• Computer Security – precautions taken to keep
computers and the information they contain safe
from unauthorized access

43
 Computer Security
• Recommended Safeguards
– Implement a security plan to prevent break-ins
– Have a plan if break-ins do occur
– Make backups!
– Only allow access to key employees
– Change passwords frequently
– Keep stored information secure
– Use antivirus software
– Use biometrics for access to computing resources
– Hire trustworthy employees

44
 Computer Security
• Encryption – the process of encoding messages
before they enter the network or airwaves, then
decoding them at the receiving end of the transfer

45
 Computer Security
• How encryption works
– Symmetric secret key system
• Both sender and recipient use the same key
• Key management can be a problem
– Public key technology
• A private key and a public key
– Certificate authority
• To implement public-key encryption on a busy Web site, requires
a more sophisticated solution. A third party, called certificate
authority, is used.
• A trusted middleman verifies that a Web site is a trusted site
(provides public keys to trusted partners)
• Secure socket layers (SSL), developed by Netscape, is a popular
public-key encryption method
46
 Computer Security
• Internet Security
– Firewall – hardware and software designed to keep unauthorized
users out of network systems

47
Computer Security

48
 Computer Security
• Virus prevention
– Install antivirus software
– Make backups
– Avoid unknown sources of shareware
– Delete e-mails from unknown sources
– If your computer gets a virus…

49
 Computer Security
• How to maintain your privacy online
– Choose Web sites monitored by privacy advocates
– Avoid “cookies”
– Visit sites anonymously
– Use caution when requesting confirming e-mail

50
 Computer Security
• Avoid getting conned in cyberspace
– Internet auctions
– Internet access
– International modem dialing
– Web cramming
– Multilevel marketing (pyramid schemes)
– Travel/vacations
– Business opportunities
– Investments
– Health-care products

51
 Case Study # 1
• As a computer programmer working at a
bank, you discover that you have
accidentally been given write access to
payroll data for all bank employees. Do
you give yourself a raise?

52
 Case Study # 2
• As a computer programmer working at a
bank, you discover that you have
accidentally been given read access to
payroll data for all bank employees. Do
you compare your pay to that of other
programmers?

53
 Case Study # 3
• As a data base administrator, you have been
given read access to personnel data. Do
you search for the private home phone
number of the person you would most like
to get to know?

54
 Case Study # 4
• Your nerdy roommate has carelessly left his
password where you can find it. Do you
threaten Hillary Clinton (or George Bush)
using his account?

55
 Case Study # 5
• Your best friend offers to let you copy the
latest version of Windows. Do you?

56
 Case Study # 6
• Consider this statement of Mr. Jonah Nonimous: “I’m a
law-abiding citizen, I pay my taxes promptly. I have a
loving family. I don’t care if anyone reviews my college
grades or income tax records, because I have nothing to
hide. All these privacy laws are unnecessary. Only
individuals who have something to hide need them.”

57
 Case Study # 7
• The past several months, George, an electrical engineer working for an
aerospace contractor, has been the quality control manager on a project to
develop a computerized control system for a new military aircraft. Early
simulations of the software for the control system showed that, under certain
conditions, instabilities would arise that would cause the plane to crash. The
software was subsequently patched to eliminate the specific problems
uncovered by the tests. After the repairs were made, the system passed all of
the required simulation tests.
• George is convinced, however, that those problems were symptomatic of a
fundamental design flaw that could only be eliminated by an extensive
redesign of the system. Yet, when he brought his concern to his superiors,
they assured him that the problems had been resolved, as shown by the tests.
Anyway, to reevaluate and possibly redesign the system would introduce
delays that would cause the company to miss the delivery date specified in
the contract, and that would be very costly.

58
 Case Study # 7
• Now, there's a great deal of pressure on George to sign
off on the system and allow it to be flight tested. It has
even been hinted that, if he persists in delaying release
of the system, the responsibility will be taken away
from him and given to someone who is more compliant.
...

• What makes the situation so difficult for George is that

he must choose between conflicting duties: loyalty to
self, family, employer, and superiors versus the
obligation to tell the truth and to protect others from
harm. . .

59
 Why are we discussing this?

• Because you are working toward becoming

a computer professional who will have
knowledge that many do not, who will have
access to information that many do not,
who will have the ability to cause harm or
to do good.

60
 Why are we discussing this?

• Because as a teacher of a powerful,

potentially harmful set of knowledge, I have
an obligation to impart a sense of
responsibility to my students.
• Because our accrediting agency encourages
us to do so.

61
 Organizations of Computing
Professionals That Have Ethical Codes
• Association of Information • Institute for Electrical and
Technology Professionals Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
(AITP) Computer Society
• Institute for the Certification of • British Computer Society
Computer Professionals (ICCP) (BCS)
• Association for Computing • Canadian Information
Machinery (ACM) Processing Society (CIPS)
• Independent Computer
Consultants Association
(ICCA)

62
 Links to Organizations of Computing
Professionals That Have Ethical Codes
• AITP • IEEE
http://www.aitp.org/index.jsp http://www.ieee.org/about/what
• ICCP is/code.html
http://www.iccp.org/iccpnew/et • BCS http://www.bcs.org/
hics%20practice • CIPS
%20conduct.html http://www.cips.ca/about/ethics
• ACM /
http://www.acm.org/constitutio • ICCA
n/code.html http://www.icca.org/ethics.asp

63
 Common Themes of Computer
Society Codes
• Dignity and worth of other people
• Personal integrity and honesty
• Responsibility for work
• Confidentiality of information
• Public safety, health, and welfare
• Participation in professional societies to improve the
profession
• Knowledge and access to technology = social power

64
 ACM Code of Ethics and
Professional Conduct
• General moral imperatives
– contribute to society and human well-being
– avoid hard to others
– be honest and trustworthy;
– be fair and take action not to discriminate
– honor property rights including copyright and patent
– give proper credit for intellectual property
– respect the privacy of others
– honor confidentiality
65
 ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct
• More specific professional responsibilities
– Strive to achieve highest quality, effectiveness and dignity
in both the process and products of professional work
– Acquire and maintain professional competence
– Know and respect existing laws pertaining to professional
work
– Accept and provide appropriate professional review
– Give comprehensive and thorough evaluations of computer
systems and their impacts, including analysis of possible
risks.
– Honor contracts, agreements, and assigned responsibilities
– Improve public understanding of computing and its
consequences
– Access computing and communication resources only when
authorized to do do 66
 ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct
• Organizational leadership imperatives
– Articulate social responsibilities of members of an organizational
unit and encourage full acceptance of those responsibilities
– Manage personnel and resources to design and build information
systems that enhance the quality of working life.
– Acknowledge and support proper and authorized uses of an
organization’s computing and communication resource.
– Ensure that users and those who will be affected by a system have
their needs clearly articulated during the assessment and design of
requirements; later the system must be validated to meet
requirement.
– Articulate and support policies that protect the dignity of users and
others affected by a computing system.
– Create opportunities for members of the organization to learn the
principles and limitations of computer systems.
67