Author: Neftaly Malatjie

1. A patent can protect the unique and secret aspect of an idea. It is very difficult to obtain a patent compared to a copyright. With computer software, complete disclosure is required; the patent holder must disclose the complete details of a program to allow a skilled programmer to build the program. Moreover, a United States software patent will be unenforceable in most other countries.

   Copyright law provides a very significant legal tool for use in protecting computer software, both before a secu­rity breach and certainly after a security breach. This type of breach could deal with misappropriation of data, computer programs, documentation, or similar material. For this reason the information security specialist will want to be familiar with basic concepts of to copyright law.

    

1. The computer can create a unique environment in which unauthorized activities can occur. Crimes in this cate­gory have many traditional names including theft, fraud, embezzlement, extortion, etc. Computer related fraud includes the introduction of fraudulent records into a computer system, theft of money by electronic means, theft of financial instruments, theft of services, and theft of valuable data.

1. Computers can be used symbolically to intimidate, deceive or defraud victims. Attorneys, government agencies and businesses increasingly use mounds of computer generated data quite legally to confound their audiences. Criminals also find useful phony invoices, bills and checks generated by the computer. The computer lends an ideal cloak for carrying out criminal acts by imparting a clean quality to the crime.

   The computer has made the invasion of our privacy a great deal easier and potentially more dangerous than be­fore the advent of the computer. A wide range of data are collected and stored in computerized files related to individuals. These files hold banking information, credit information, organizational fund raising, opinion polls, shop at home services, driver license data, arrest records and medical records. The potential threats to privacy include the improper commercial use of computerized data, breaches of confidentiality by releasing confidential data to third parties, and the release of records to governmental agencies for investigative purposes.

1. Ethics and Responsible Decison-Making

The foundation of all security systems is formed by moral principles and practices of those people involved and the standards of the profession. That is, while people are part of the solution, they are also most the problem. Security problems with which an organization may have to deal include: responsible decision making, confiden­tiality, privacy, piracy, fraud & misuse, liability, copyright, trade secrets, and sabotage. It is easy to sensational­ize these topics with real horror stories; it is more difficult to deal with the underlying ethical issues involved.

The student should be made aware of his individual responsibility in making ethical decisions associated with information security.

Codes of Ethics are concerned with a range of issues, including:

»Academic honesty

»Adherence to confidentiality agreements

»Data privacy

»Handling of human subjects

»Impartiality in data analysis and professional consulting

»Professional accountability

»Resolution of conflicts of interest

»Software piracy

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