Society, Law and Ethics

Any information about you or created by you that exists in digital form is referred to as Digital Property.

Stealing someone's intellectual work and representing it as one's own is known as plagiarism.

Creative creations of the mind such as patents, trademark and copyright are intellectual property.

Any fraudulent business practice that extracts money from an ignorant person is called a(n) scam.

Software which usually limit the functionality after a trial period are known as shareware.

Online identity theft is a theft of personal information in order to commit a fraud.

Cybercrime is defined as a crime in which computer is the medium of crime (hacking, phishing, spamming) or the computer is used as a tool to commit crimes.

The practice of attempting to acquire sensitive information from individuals over the internet by means of deception is called phishing.

Copyright infringement means using another person's work, without permission or without paying for it, if it is being sold.

Public Domain Software is free and can be used with restrictions.

Answer

False

Reason — Public Domain Software is not only free but also comes with no restrictions on its use, modification, or distribution.

An important factor of privacy is consumer consent.

Answer

True

Reason — Consumer consent is a crucial aspect of privacy. It ensures that individuals have control over their personal data and how it is collected, used, and shared.

Intellectual Property Rights are the rights of owners to decide how much information/data is to be shared or exchanged.

Answer

True

Reason — Intellectual Property Rights are the specific legal rights that allow their owner to completely benefit from the use of their creation for a certain period of time. These rights also entitle them to prevent others from using or dealing with their product without prior permission and force them to stop and compensate for any damages.

Copying and pasting data from internet or other digital resources is ethical.

Answer

False

Reason — Copying and pasting data from the internet or other digital resources without permission is considered unethical because it can infringe on copyright and intellectual property rights.

E-document becomes legal after it is digitally signed.

Answer

True

Reason — An e-document becomes legally binding and enforceable after it is digitally signed because a digital signature verifies the authenticity and integrity of the document.

The data stored in biometric database can be updated.

Answer

False

Reason — Biometric data of an individual doesn't change, it is part of the unique identity of the individual.

Source code of proprietary software is normally available.

Answer

False

Reason — The source code of proprietary software is not available to the public.

Free software is same as freeware.

Answer

False

Reason — Freeware is a type of software available free of cost, permitting copying and distribution but not modification, with its source code not available. On the other hand, free software, or open-source software, can be freely used, modified, improved, copied, and distributed without any payment required.

Never respond to an email or advertisement that claims you have won something.

Answer

True

Reason — Emails or advertisements claiming that we have won something, are often phishing scams or fraudulent schemes designed to obtain personal information or money.

Using someone else's Twitter handle to post something will be termed as:

1. Fraud
2. Identity theft
3. Online stealing
4. Violation

Answer

Identity theft

Reason — Using someone else's twitter handle to post something, will be termed as identity theft.

Standard security protocol that establishes encrypted links between a web server and a browser is called ............... .

1. Online safety technology
2. SDT technology
3. Web encryption technology
4. Secure Sockets Layer technology

Answer

Secure Sockets Layer technology

Reason — Standard security protocol that establishes encrypted links between a web server and a browser is called Secure sockets layer technology.

Intellectual Property Rights protect the use of information and ideas that are of:

1. Ethical Value
2. Moral Value
3. Social Value
4. Commercial Value

Answer

Commercial Value

Reason — Intellectual Property Rights protect the use of information and ideas that are of commercial value.

Credit card fraud may include:

1. Stealing of credit card
2. Unauthorized and illegal use of credit card
3. Stealing information
4. Phishing

Answer

Unauthorized and illegal use of credit card

Reason — Credit card fraud involves the use of credit/debit card to obtain money or acquire properties without appropriate authorization. Fraudsters obtain credit/debit card numbers of victims from unsecured web media and use them to carry out illegal or unethical transactions.

The term "Intellectual Property Rights" covers:

1. Copyrights
2. Trademarks
3. Patents
4. All of these

Answer

All of these

Reason — Intellectual Property Rights include copyrights, trademarks, and patents.

Which of the following is an open-source software?

1. Microsoft Windows
2. Adobe Photoshop
3. MySQL
4. MS PowerPoint

Answer

MySQL

Reason — MySQL is an open-source relational database management system, meaning its source code is freely available for anyone to use, modify, and distribute. In contrast, Microsoft Windows, Adobe Photoshop and MS Powerpoint are proprietary software.

Online personal account, personal websites are examples of:

1. Digital Wallet
2. Digital Property
3. Digital Certificate
4. Digital Signature

Answer

Digital Property

Reason — Online personal accounts and personal websites are considered digital property because they represent owned assets in the digital space, similar to physical property in the real world.

Unsolicited commercial email is known as ............... .

1. Spam
2. Malware
3. Virus
4. Spyware

Answer

Spam

Reason — The unsolicited emails and attractive advertisements are collectively known as spam.

Which of the following is not a type of a cyber crime?

1. Data theft
2. Forgery
3. Damage to data
4. Installing antivirus for protection

Answer

Installing antivirus for protection

Reason — Installing antivirus is not a type of cyber crime because it is a defensive measure taken by individuals or organizations to protect against cyber threats. Cyber crime refers to criminal activities conducted using computers or the Internet, such as data theft, forgery, hacking, phishing, and malware attacks.

Assertion (A): Digital footprints are also termed as Digital Tattoos.

Reasoning (R): Digital footprints are the records and traces that we leave behind while working with the internet.

1. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
2. Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
3. A is true but R is false.
4. A is false but R is true.

Answer

Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Explanation
Digital footprints, also known as digital tattoos, refer to the trail or traces left by individuals online while using digital devices like smartphones, tablets, and computers. These records are often permanent and cannot be easily erased.

Assertion (A): Privacy of sensitive data can be achieved through proper authentication checks.

Reasoning (R): Authentication is the process of providing access to the data for all the users.

1. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
2. Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
3. A is true but R is false.
4. A is false but R is true.

Answer

A is true but R is false.

Explanation
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. Authentication is the process of verifying the identity of users and granting access only to those who are authorized.

Assertion (A): FLOSS is an Open Source Software.

Reasoning (R): FLOSS source code is freely available and modifiable.

1. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
2. Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
3. A is true but R is false.
4. A is false but R is true.

Answer

Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Explanation
FLOSS stands for Free Libre/Livre and Open Source Software. It refers to software that is both open source and free of charge. This means that users can freely access, modify, and distribute the software without any cost.

Assertion (A): One should not use copyrighted material without taking a license first.

Reasoning (R): A license is described as the permission granted by the copyright holder to use a product.

1. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
2. Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
3. A is true but R is false.
4. A is false but R is true.

Answer

Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Explanation
One should not use copyrighted material without obtaining a license first, as doing so can violate copyright laws. A license is the permission granted by the copyright holder, allowing legal use of the material.

Assertion (A): Intellectual property refers to a creation of the intellect (hence, the name); inventions, literary and artistic works, symbols, names, images and designs used in commerce are part of it.

Reasoning (R): Intellectual property is safeguarded through copyright.

1. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
2. Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
3. A is true but R is false.
4. A is false but R is true.

Answer

Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.

Explanation
Assertion (A) is true because intellectual property includes creations like inventions, literary works, symbols, names, and designs.
Reasoning (R) is true as copyright is one of the ways to protect intellectual property (mainly for literary and artistic works).
However, Reasoning (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A) because patents and trademarks are other ways of protecting other forms of intellectual property. Hence, copyright is not the sole mechanism for safeguarding all types of intellectual property.

Assertion (A): Plagiarism is a form of IPR infringement.

Reasoning (R): Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) infringement is using someone else's intellectual property without the consent of the owner.

1. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
2. Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
3. A is true but R is false.
4. A is false but R is true.

Answer

Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Explanation
Plagiarism is a form of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) infringement because it involves copying someone else's work without giving credit to the original author. Intellectual Property (IP) infringement refers to any violation or breach of protected intellectual property rights.

Assertion (A): When a patent is granted, the owner gets an exclusive right to prevent others from modifying, reproducing, selling or distributing the protected invention.

Reasoning (R): A patent is usually granted for inventions.

1. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
2. Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
3. A is true but R is false.
4. A is false but R is true.

Answer

Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.

Explanation
A patent is usually granted for inventions. 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.

Assertion (A): The act of presenting someone else's work or idea as your own is plagiarism.

Reasoning (R): Accessing someone's computer system without their permission is defined as plagiarism.

1. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
2. Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
3. A is true but R is false.
4. A is false but R is true.

Answer

A is true but R is false.

Explanation
Plagiarism is copying someone else's work and then passing it off as one's own. Hacking is an act of unauthorized access to a computer, computer network or any digital system.

What do you mean by cyber crime?

Answer

Cyber crime refers to any online illegal activity facilitated by the use of electronic communication devices like mobile phones, computers or through networks like the Internet. For example, cyberstalking, cyberbullying, cyberespionage, cyberwarfare, etc.

What is meant by cyber ethics? How are they important to us?

Answer

Cyber ethics refers to the moral principles and guidelines that govern the use of computers, the internet, and other digital technologies.

Cyber ethics are important because they:

1. Protect individuals and organizations from cyber threats and attacks.
2. Promote trust and confidence in digital transactions and interactions.
3. Ensure accountability and responsibility in the digital world.
4. Foster a culture of respect and empathy online.
5. Help to prevent digital divide and promote digital inclusion.

What do you mean by identity theft? How can we prevent it?

Answer

Identity theft is a type of fraud that involves using someone else's identity to steal money or gain other benefits. Online identity theft refers to an act of stealing someone's personal information such as name, login details, credit card details etc, and then posing as that person online.

To protect ourselves from such frauds, we should follow Private Browsing or Anonymous Browsing on the internet.

What do you understand by illegal download?

Answer

Illegal downloads means obtaining files from the Internet that we don't have the right to use. Illegal downloads are the root cause of digital piracy.

What is child pornography?

Answer

Child pornography is publishing and transmitting obscene material about children in electronic form.

How do people unknowingly commit cyber crime?

Answer

People unknowingly commit cyber crime by:

1. Clicking on phishing emails or links

2. Using weak passwords

3. Downloading pirated software or content

4. Using public Wi-Fi or unsecured networks

5. Sharing personal information on social media

6. Not updating software or operating systems

7. Using infected devices or USB drives

8. Participating in online scams

9. Not using two-factor authentication

10. Lack of awareness about cyber laws

11. Using unauthorized or unlicensed software

12. Not reporting cyber incidents

What are the different ways to do phishing?

Answer

The different ways to indulge in phishing are fake emails from banks, targeted emails, fraudulent SMS messages, fake phone calls, and redirecting users to fake websites to steal information.

What precautions should be taken to avoid phishing?

Answer

The protective measures to be followed against phishing include:

1. Never open or download a file from an unsolicited email, even from someone we know.
2. Keep our operating system updated.
3. Use a trusted antivirus program.
4. Enable two-factor authentication whenever available.
5. Confirm the authenticity of a website prior to entering login credentials by looking for a reputable security trust mark.
6. Look for HTTPS in the address bar when we enter any sensitive personal information on a website to make sure our data will be encrypted.

What procedure is followed by the police to track/investigate cyber crime cases?

Answer

The procedure followed by the police to track/investigate cyber crime cases is as follows:

1. Reporting: Victim reports the crime to the police.
2. Initial Assessment: Police gather basic information and assess the crime.
3. Securing Evidence: Preserve digital evidence and maintain the chain of custody.
4. Digital Forensics: Collect and analyze data from devices to uncover clues.
5. Tracing: Trace IP addresses and online activities to locate the perpetrator.
6. Legal Procedures: Obtain necessary warrants and collaborate with other agencies.
7. Arrest and Prosecution: Identify, arrest, and prosecute the suspect based on gathered evidence.

What do you understand by the concept of cyber forensics?

Answer

Cyber forensics is an electronic discovery technique used to determine and reveal technical criminal evidence. It often involves electronic data storage extraction for legal purposes.

What precautions should be taken so that students do not indulge in cyber crime unknowingly?

Answer

The precautions to be taken so that students do not indulge in cybercrime unknowingly are as follows:

1. Teach digital literacy and cybercrime laws.
2. Encourage the use of strong, unique passwords and proper privacy settings on online platforms.
3. Implement clear use policies and supervise internet use.
4. Use and update antivirus and security software.
5. Teach students to avoid clicking on unknown links or downloading unverified files.
6. Encourage students to speak up if they encounter anything suspicious or uncomfortable online.
7. Make students aware of the legal consequences of engaging in cybercrime activities, even unknowingly.

Differentiate between Proprietary Licence and Open Source Licence.

Answer

How secure is Biometric Authentication System?

Answer

Biometric authentication systems offer a high level of security by using unique biological traits, such as fingerprints or facial recognition, which are difficult to replicate or forge. They provide convenience and reduce the risk of unauthorized access, as traits cannot be easily shared or stolen.

What is the relationship between ethics and law?

Answer

Ethics and law are interconnected but distinct; ethics involves moral principles guiding behaviour based on what is considered right and wrong, while law consists of formal rules established by authorities to maintain societal order.

What is the difference between fairness and ethics in law?

Answer

Fairness in law refers to the principle of treating all individuals impartially and justly, ensuring that legal processes and outcomes are equitable. It focuses on the application of laws in a manner that is unbiased and consistent, regardless of personal characteristics or circumstances.

Ethics in law involves the moral principles and values that guide the behaviour of legal professionals and the interpretation of legal rules. It encompasses broader concerns about what is morally right or wrong in legal practice and decision-making, such as integrity, honesty, and justice.

How do ethical norms differ from the law?

Answer

Ethical norms are moral principles guiding behaviour based on concepts of right and wrong and are often subjective, varying by culture and personal values. They are not legally enforceable and rely on societal expectations. In contrast, laws are formal, objective rules established by governing bodies to regulate behaviour and maintain order, with legal consequences for non-compliance.

What is the difference between threat, vulnerability and risk?

Answer

A threat is any potential danger or adverse event that could exploit a vulnerability and cause harm. It represents something that could exploit a weakness, such as a hacker, malware, or natural disaster.

A vulnerability is a weakness or gap in a system's defenses that could be exploited by a threat. It represents the susceptibility of a system to threats, such as outdated software, misconfigured settings, or weak passwords.

Risk is the likelihood that a threat will exploit a vulnerability and the potential impact of that exploitation.

What is the goal of information security within an organization?

Answer

The goal of information security in an organization is to keep its information safe from being accessed, changed, or damaged by unauthorized people.

In how many ways can you secure your system from cyber attacks?

Answer

The ways to secure our system from cyber attacks are as follows:

1. Keep the computer system up-to-date and take regular backup of important data.
2. Protect our personal information by managing our social media privacy settings.
3. Update our antivirus software on a regular basis.
4. Choose a strong password (combination of letters, numbers, symbols and special characters) and change it periodically. Do not use same password for all websites.
5. Before downloading any software, ensure that the website address contains HTTPS or lock symbol.
6. While using someone else's computer, do not allow the browser to save password or auto fill data and try to browse in incognito mode.
7. For an unknown site, do not agree to accept cookies when asked for, through a Yes/No option.
8. Perform online transactions like shopping, ticketing and other such services only through well-known and secure sites.
9. Always secure wireless network at home with a strong password and regularly change it.
10. Do not download songs, videos or software from untrustworthy websites. Often these files come with hidden malware such as ransomware or Trojan.
11. Never download attachments from emails that appear suspicious.
12. Adjust the settings in the web browser. It may limit some functionality but can provide best protection from malicious content.

Write the advantages of biometrics in school.

Answer

The advantages of biometrics in school are as follows:

1. It provides secure identity verification for students, staff, and visitors.
2. It offers precise and automatic recording of attendance.
3. It saves time with quick fingerprint or facial recognition scans.
4. It minimizes identity fraud due to the uniqueness of biometric data.
5. It ensures accountability by recording exact times of entry and exit.

Differentiate between Hacker and Cracker.

Answer

What do you mean by illegal downloads? What are its repercussions?

Answer

Illegal downloads means obtaining files from the internet that we don't have the right to use. It is the root cause of digital piracy, which involves illegally sharing copyrighted media.

Illegal downloads should be discouraged as it incurs heavy losses to developers/producers and the person who is carrying out such illegal downloads can face punishment or fine due to this unethical act.

What do you mean by virus?

Answer

A virus is a malicious code/program that causes damage to data and files on a system. Viruses can attack any part of a computer's software such as boot block, operating system, system areas, files and application-program-macros etc.

What do you mean by Spyware and Adware?

Answer

Spyware is malicious software that can collect various types of personal information, such as tracking the internet surfing habits and visiting web pages by the user or changing the configuration of our system.

Adware are programs that send unwanted advertisements to the user's computer. These advertisements generally appear in the form of pop ups, which can disrupt user's working.

What do you mean by Malware?

Answer

Malware is a general term used to refer to viruses, worms, spyware, adware etc. It is unwanted software that someone else wants to run on our computer. Malware infects our computer, making it behave in a way, which we do not approve of.

What do you mean by Worm?

Answer

A worm is a program designed to replicate. The program may perform any variety of additional tasks as well.

What do you mean by Trojan Horse?

Answer

A Trojan Horse is code hidden in a program such as a game or spreadsheet that looks safe to run but has hidden side effects. It may destroy, damage, or alter information in the background.

What is the difference between Worm and Trojan Horse?

Answer

Worms are self-replicating viruses that exploit security vulnerabilities to automatically spread themselves across computers and networks. Unlike many viruses, worms do not attach to existing programs or alter files. They typically go unnoticed until replication reaches a scale that consumes significant system resources or network bandwidth.

Malware disguised in what appears to be legitimate software are known as Trojans. Once activated, Trojans will conduct whatever action they have been programmed to carry out. Unlike viruses and worms, Trojans do not replicate or reproduce through infection.

What is the difference between Malware and Worm?

Answer

Malware (Malicious Software) is a file or code, typically delivered over a network, that infects, explores, steals or conducts virtually any behavior an attacker wants. It includes various forms of malicious software, such as viruses, spyware, trojans and worms.

Worms are a type of malware that are self-replicating viruses that exploit security vulnerabilities to automatically spread themselves across computers and networks.

How does technology impact the society? Explain with the help of an example.

Answer

Technology greatly impacts society by improving communication, access to information, and quality of life. For example, smartphones have transformed how we connect with others, allowing instant messaging, video calls, and access to the internet from almost anywhere. This makes staying in touch with family and friends easier and helps people work remotely. However, it also brings challenges like reduced face-to-face interactions and concerns about privacy and screen time.

Write the drawback of social media networks.

Answer

The drawback of social media networks are as follows:

1. Personal information shared on social media can be misused or exposed, leading to privacy breaches and identity theft.
2. Excessive use of social media has been linked to mental health issues.
3. The rapid spread of unverified or false information can lead to misinformation, confusion, and public distrust.
4. Social media platforms can facilitate cyberbullying and harassment.
5. It leads to addiction.
6. Social media accounts can be targets for hacking, phishing, and other cyber threats.

Write the names of five social media sites which are very popular.

Answer

The names of five social media sites are as follows:

1. Facebook
2. Instagram
3. X (formerly known as Twitter)
4. YouTube
5. LinkedIn

What is plagiarism?

Answer

Plagiarism is stealing someone else's intellectual work and representing it as our own work without citing the source of information.

Write the differences between Phishing and Identity theft.

Answer

Write the differences between Copyright infringement and Trademark Infringement.

Answer

Write the differences between Proprietary and Free and Open-source software.

Answer

Cite examples depicting that you were a victim of following cyber crime. Also, cite provisions in IT Act to deal with such a cyber crime.

(a) Identity theft

(b) Credit card account theft

Answer

(a) My personal medical information, including my medical records and health insurance details, was stolen from a hacked hospital database. The thief used this information to obtain medical treatment and prescription drugs, resulting in financial losses and damage to my credit score.

Provisions in IT Act:

1. Section 43A of the IT Act, 2000: Compensation for failure to protect data, which allows victims to claim damages from the organization responsible for the data breach.
2. Section 66C of the IT Act, 2000: Punishment for identity theft, which includes imprisonment of up to 3 years and/or fine up to ₹1 lakh.

(b) My credit card information was stolen through a phishing email, and the thief used it to make unauthorized transactions, resulting in financial losses.

Provisions in IT Act:

Section 66D of the IT Act, 2000: Punishment for cheating by personation using computer resource, which includes imprisonment up to 3 years and/or fine up to ₹1 lakh. Section 43 of the IT Act, 2000: Compensation for unauthorized access to computer system, which allows victims to claim damages from the person responsible for the unauthorized access.

Name the different types of intellectual property.

Answer

The different types of intellectual property are as follows:

1. Industrial property
   1. Patent
   2. Trademark
2. Copyright

Ravi received a mail from IRS department. On clicking "Click here", he was taken to an official-looking website, like IRS.gov. He uploaded some important information on it. Identify and explain the cyber crime discussed in this scenario.

Answer

The cyber crime discussed in this scenario is phishing. Phishing is an attempt to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. In this case, Ravi received an email that appeared to be from the IRS department. When he clicked on the link, he was directed to a website that looked like the official IRS site, but it was actually a fake site created by cybercriminals. By uploading important information to this fraudulent site, Ravi unknowingly provided his sensitive data to the attackers.

Shreya was not able to attend a class and she called up Rajni enquiring about the topic discussed in the class. Rajni informed her that tuples in Python was discussed. She also downloaded a PowerPoint Presentation from the internet and mailed it to Shreya after changing the name to "made by Rajni" saying she had made this presentation for her. Identify and explain the cyber crime being discussed in the above example.

Answer

The cyber crime being discussed in the above example is plagiarism. Plagiarism involves copying someone else's work and passing it off as one's own without giving proper credit to the original author. In this case, Rajni downloaded a PowerPoint presentation from the internet, changed the name to "made by Rajni," and falsely claimed that she had created it. This act violates intellectual property rights and is considered a cyber crime.

What do you understand by trademark and intellectual property?

Answer

A trademark includes any visual symbol, word, name, design, slogan, label, etc. that distinguishes a brand or commercial enterprise from other brands or commercial enterprises.

Intellectual property refers to creations of the intellect, inventions, literary and artistic works, symbols, names, images and designs used in commerce are part of it.

What is data privacy? Websites that you visit collect what type of information about you?

Answer

Data privacy refers to the protection of personal data and sensitive information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction.

Websites collect the information such as :

1. IP addresses of the user's computer (user's location).
2. Information about usage of website. For example, what users click on and how much time they spend on a page.
3. Information about browsers and device used to access the sites.
4. Browsing activity across different sites.

What do you mean by confidentiality of information?

Answer

Confidentiality of information ensures that only authorized users get access to sensitive and protected data.

Name some common social networking sites.

Answer

Some social networking sites are as follows:

1. Facebook
2. X (formerly known as Twitter)
3. Reddit
4. LinkedIn

Define digital footprint.

Answer

Digital Footprints are the records and traces of individual's activities as they use the Internet. Digital Footprints are permanently stored.