Ethical computing | ICSE Class 9 Computer Applications Notes

This note covers ethical computing, intellectual property rights, copyright, patents, software piracy, personal privacy, digital footprints, data protection, protection against spam, online safety, digital etiquette and responsible social media use.

What is ethical computing?

Ethical computing means using digital technology responsibly, with respect for other people, their privacy and their creations. Cyber ethics concerns the standards of right and responsible behaviour in a digital environment. Technical ability to access or share something does not settle whether doing so is acceptable.

A netizen, or digital citizen, is someone who uses digital technology with the Internet. A responsible netizen practises safe, ethical and legal use of that technology. These responsibilities apply when communicating, studying, sharing information or participating in online communities.

Which responsibilities guide a netizen?

Digital etiquette means the manners expected in online interactions. It includes behaviour on the Internet, communication with others and participation in social media, websites or applications for creating and sharing content with an online community. Respect for people continues to matter when communication takes place through a screen.

Privacy concerns keeping personal information and private communication protected from unwanted access or sharing. A private exchange can include photographs, documents and other files. Sharing such material with another person requires the consent, meaning agreement, of those involved.

Sharing expertise can help other people, but the information should be true and clear. Before sharing, make sure that you understand the topic sufficiently. Check whether the information is already available so that sharing does not merely repeat existing material.

Rule: Be ethical, respectful and responsible online. Respecting other people's rights is part of using technology well, alongside protecting your own information.

Ethical computing therefore joins personal conduct with respect for ownership and privacy. Protecting an account while misusing another person's work would leave part of this responsibility unmet. Both the information being handled and the people affected deserve attention.

What are intellectual property rights, copyright and patents?

Intellectual property includes inventions, literary and artistic expression, designs, symbols, names and logos. These are creations of the mind. Intellectual property rights, abbreviated to IPR, provide legal protection for such creations and recognise the rights of their creators or owners.

Protection enables creators to obtain recognition or financial benefit from their work. It also supports further creativity and innovation. Two forms of protection are copyright and patents, which apply to different kinds of creations.

What does copyright protect?

Copyright gives creators legal rights over their original works. These works include writing, photographs, audio recordings, videos, sculpture, architectural works and computer software. Copyright is automatically granted to creators and authors; it does not follow the application process described for patents.

The rights include reproducing the work, distributing copies, publicly displaying or performing it, and creating derivative works, meaning works based on the original. A licence sets out permission and conditions for another person to use a work.

What does a patent protect?

A patent is usually granted for an invention. The inventor must apply for it. Once granted, it gives the owner an exclusive right to prevent others from using, selling or distributing the protected invention. The patentee is the owner of the patent.

The patentee controls whether and how others can use the invention. The prospect of recognition or financial benefit can encourage inventors to share their scientific or technological findings. Remember the qualification: a patent is usually granted for an invention.

The distinction is between protection of an original work and protection of an invention. Neither the presence of a work online nor the ease of copying it removes the need to consider the owner's rights.

How do plagiarism and copyright infringement differ?

Plagiarism means presenting someone else's idea or work as your own. It can involve copied text, pictures or videos, or an idea derived from existing work but presented as new. A citation identifies the author or source from which material was obtained.

Copyright infringement concerns using a protected work without the required permission, or without paying when payment is required. Plagiarism concerns the claim of authorship or originality. Copyright infringement concerns the right to use the work.

Why is naming the creator not enough?

Consider an image downloaded from the Internet for a project. If its owner does not permit free use, adding a reference to the image does not by itself give permission to use it. The reference acknowledges the source; it does not replace the required licence.

Conversely, permission to use material does not make you its creator. Even when content is open for public use, cite the author or source to avoid presenting another person's work as your own. Permission and acknowledgement answer different questions.

Note: Being available on the Internet does not mean being free to use. A citation gives credit; permission allows the use covered by that permission.

Before using material in a project, check its copyright status and the conditions under which it is available. Identify its creator in the acknowledgement. If permission is needed, obtain it; if payment is required for the use, that requirement also matters.

These checks apply to images as well as written passages. Copying is easy in a digital environment, but that convenience does not answer either the authorship question or the permission question. Keeping both checks separate helps prevent confusing the two kinds of misuse.

What is software piracy, and how do software licences help?

Software piracy is the unauthorised use or distribution of software. Software means the programs that direct a computer's operations. Buying a licence for a copy does not, by itself, give permission to make additional copies for other uses.

Unauthorised copying can infringe copyright whether the copies are sold, distributed without charge or made for the copier's own use. The absence of a selling price does not supply permission. The relevant question is what the copyright owner has authorised.

What do open licences allow?

Source code is a program's code in the form written by its developer. Many proprietary programs, meaning programs controlled under their owners' restrictive licences, are sold commercially without sharing this code. Other software is available with permission to access, modify and improve its source code.

Free and open source software, or FOSS, makes source code available for users to access and improve. Communities of users and developers contribute features and corrections. Open source licences provide rules for contributing to existing work without seeking separate individual permission for each permitted contribution.

The GNU General Public License, commonly called the GPL, is a software licence that grants freedoms to run, study, share and modify software. People distributing works under it may charge for copies or provide them without charge. Thus, freedom to use software is not simply a statement about price.

What should a responsible user check?

• Identify the licence under which the software is supplied.
• Check whether the intended copying or distribution is permitted.
• Respect the conditions governing modification and sharing.
• Avoid using or distributing software without authorisation.

Freeware is software supplied without a charge for use. A zero price alone does not establish the freedoms to inspect source code, modify it or distribute it commercially. Read the licence instead of assuming that every freely available program has the same permissions.

Rule: Decide whether copying is permitted by checking authorisation and licence conditions. Do not decide merely by whether money changes hands.

How can an individual's privacy be protected?

Data protection concerns safeguarding digitally stored information, particularly its privacy. Sensitive data is information whose exposure or misuse can cause substantial harm, embarrassment, inconvenience or unfairness to a person. It therefore needs careful handling.

Examples include health information, financial information, personal documents, photographs, audio and video. Biometric information is information about a person's physical or behavioural characteristics used for identification. Such information is also sensitive data.

What protections are involved?

Encryption changes information into a protected form that requires the appropriate means to read it. Authentication checks the identity of a user seeking access. These methods help make sensitive data accessible to authorised users for legitimate purposes.

An authorised user is a person who has permission to access the information. A legitimate purpose is a proper, permitted reason for using it. Protecting data includes guarding against unwanted disclosure and unauthorised changes.

How do account habits protect privacy?

Credentials are details used to access an account, such as a username and password. A username identifies the account; a password is the secret used to help protect access. Keep personal credentials private.

Use strong passwords with different combinations of letters, numbers and special characters. Avoid common words or names. Do not use the same password for every website, and change passwords periodically. These practices reduce the risk of someone gaining access to private information.

A browser is software used to access websites. On someone else's computer, do not allow it to save passwords or automatically fill personal details. Protecting your own account and respecting another person's private information are related parts of responsible computer use.

What are digital footprints, and why do they matter?

A digital footprint is the trail of data left by online activity. It can include websites visited, emails sent, information submitted online, location and details about the device used. The trail can be created and used with or without the user's knowledge.

An active digital footprint consists of information intentionally submitted online, such as an email, response or post. A passive digital footprint is the data trail left unintentionally while visiting websites, browsing or using online applications.

How do the two kinds differ?

The distinction concerns intention when the data is created. It does not mean that active footprints are necessarily harmful or that passive footprints are necessarily harmless. Both form part of the record of a person's online activity.

Digital footprint data could be used for targeted advertising, or it could be misused or exploited. Being aware of the trail should make users cautious about what they write, upload, download and browse.

Does deleting a post remove every trace?

Most digital footprints, apart from those held in the browser, are stored on servers, computers that host applications and provide services to other computers. Users may not have access to erase this information or control how it will be used.

There is no guarantee that digital footprints will be fully eliminated from the Internet. Deleting material from an account does not establish that the entire data trail has disappeared. Privacy decisions therefore matter before material is posted as well as afterwards.

Note: Think before uploading sensitive material. Attempting to erase an online activity later does not guarantee removal of its digital footprint.

Online activity also leaves traces on the computing device being used. These records can help trace a user, location, device and usage details. Responsible behaviour remains necessary even when an online action appears distant from everyday face-to-face interaction.

How should spam and suspicious messages be handled?

Spam is junk email. A recipient should neither reply to spam nor open its attachments. An attachment is a file sent with a message. Unsolicited means not requested by the recipient. Use care when handling such messages, especially if they include links or attached files.

A link is a reference that takes a user to another online location. Links and attachments from untrusted emails can be hazardous because they may contain a virus or lead to a malicious website. Malicious means intended to cause harm. Open an email link or attachment only when it comes from a trusted source and does not look doubtful.

What is phishing?

Phishing uses fake websites or messages that look authentic to collect sensitive personal details fraudulently. Targets include usernames, passwords and banking information. An apparently familiar sender or copied logo does not by itself establish that the request is genuine.

Email spoofing involves a fake or forged email address. A phishing message can appear to come from a bank or educational institution while directing the recipient towards a false website address. The aim is to persuade the user to supply information to the wrong recipient.

Phishing attempts can also arrive through phone calls or text messages. The communication method is less important than the deception: a false appearance of trust is used to obtain personal information.

Which precautions reduce exposure?

• Do not reply to junk email or open its attachments.
• Examine suspicious messages carefully rather than trusting their appearance.
• Avoid following doubtful links or downloading files from untrusted sources.
• Use the email service's option to block an unwanted sender.

Ransomware is an attack in which access to a computer or its data is blocked and payment is demanded. The attacker usually encrypts the data. Some ransomware is sent as attachments in spam, which helps explain the warning against opening such files.

Rule: Treat a doubtful message as doubtful even if it uses familiar-looking names or images. Protect account details and avoid opening untrusted links or attachments.

What measures help protect data on the Internet?

Online protection combines careful behaviour with maintaining the software used to connect to the Internet. Cyber crime means criminal activity carried out in a digital environment, where a computer may be the target or a tool used to commit the offence.

A computer virus is malicious code that can copy itself and can destroy data or corrupt a system. Antivirus software helps detect and protect against such threats. Keep this software updated rather than assuming that installation alone provides continuing protection.

Which regular habits are useful?

1. Back up important data. A backup is a separate copy kept so that information can be recovered if the working copy is lost or damaged. Take backups regularly.
2. Maintain protective software. Use antivirus software and keep it updated. Update the browser and other software used on the computer.
3. Choose downloads carefully. Avoid pirated software and downloads from untrusted websites. Obtain software from known and secure sites.
4. Protect account access. Use strong, different passwords for different websites. Avoid common words or names and change passwords periodically.

Browsers usually alert users about doubtful websites when a security certificate cannot be verified. A security certificate helps a browser check the identity of a site for a secure connection. Avoid visiting a site when the browser gives such a warning.

How should shared access be handled?

While using someone else's computer, prevent the browser from saving your password or automatically inserting personal information. Sign out of your account when finished. Leaving an account open can allow the next user to act through that account.

Identity theft involves stealing and misusing another person's identifying information to commit fraud. Account details deserve protection because misuse can affect the person whose identity is being used. Finding another person's password does not authorise using it.

Online shopping, ticket booking and similar transactions should use well-known, secure sites. Protect the home wireless network with a strong password and change it regularly. These actions address different points of access and should accompany careful handling of messages and downloads.

Safety measures reduce risk; they should not be treated as a reason to ignore suspicious activity. A maintained computer, protected account and careful user work together to safeguard information.

What does respectful digital communication require?

Digital communication includes email, text messages, calls and posts in online discussion spaces. Being precise means communicating clearly and without unnecessary material. Being polite means avoiding aggressive or abusive language, including when disagreeing with someone.

Respect the recipient's time. Do not demand an immediate reply, because the other person may have different priorities. Avoid spending time responding to irrelevant messages or comments merely because they have arrived.

How can communication remain considerate?

Respect data limits when sending files. Very large attachments may be avoided by sending compressed files, meaning files reduced in size, or by sharing a link to stored files.

Credibility means being worthy of belief or trust. Comments and replies build a person's credibility over time. Careless or unreliable information affects how others judge later contributions, so check information before passing it on.

How should harmful behaviour be understood?

Cyberbullying involves repeatedly targeting someone online with the intention of hurting or embarrassing them. It includes threats, repeated rumours, public ridicule and sharing a victim's personal information. Online bullying can have very serious implications for the person targeted.

An Internet troll deliberately starts quarrels or upsets others by posting inflammatory or irrelevant messages for amusement. Trolls seek attention. Not giving their comments attention helps discourage their disruptive behaviour.

The circular diagram has three outer groups: Be Ethical, Be Respectful and Be Responsible. Its inner sectors pair these with avoiding copyright violation and sharing expertise; respecting privacy and diversity; and avoiding cyberbullying and not feeding trolls.

See Fig. 11.2 in your NCERT textbook

Diversity means differences among people, including their knowledge, experience and culture. Respecting these differences is part of communicating responsibly in a group. A disagreement is not a reason to ridicule another person or circulate their private information.

Good communication therefore involves the accuracy of what is said, the way it is expressed and its effect on others. Courtesy and care with information apply across different forms of online interaction.

How can social media be used responsibly?

Social media are websites or applications that let users create and share content and participate in social networking. Users can exchange thoughts, experiences, pictures and other material with an online community. Responsible participation requires attention to security and reliability.

Handling social media calls for a multifaceted approach, meaning an approach with several connected parts. These include education, guidance and open communication. Learning about online safety and digital etiquette supports responsible choices about people, messages and uploads.

What does being secure involve?

Choose passwords wisely and keep personal credentials private. Social networks usually encourage users to make connections, sometimes with people they have not met. Be careful when befriending unknown people because their intentions possibly could be malicious and unsafe.

Someone who seems genuine online might be hiding their real identity. Do not arrange to meet an online friend. Apparent friendliness does not remove the need to think about personal safety.

Be alert to fake information. Do not blindly believe every post or message. Apply knowledge and experience to assess whether it is genuine before relying on it or passing it to others.

What does being reliable involve?

Think before uploading. Personal photographs and sensitive files can affect privacy when shared. Consider what the material reveals, whose information it contains and whether the people involved have consented to further sharing.

A pink box labelled Be Secure connects to Choose password wisely, Know who you befriend and Beware of fake information. A blue box labelled Be Reliable connects to Think before you upload.

See Fig. 11.4 in your NCERT textbook

Deletion does not guarantee that a digital footprint will disappear. This makes the decision before posting especially important. Protecting an account cannot replace care about the information deliberately shared through it.

Education develops understanding of online risks and conduct; guidance helps people make informed choices; open communication allows questions and concerns to be discussed. Together, these support responsible participation instead of relying on passwords as the whole solution.

Glossary

• Ethical computing — Responsible use of digital technology that respects people, privacy and the rights attached to creative work.
• Intellectual property — Creations of the mind, including inventions, artistic expression, designs, symbols, names and logos.
• Copyright — Legal rights granted to creators over their original works, including writing, photographs and computer software.
• Patent — Protection usually granted for an invention after application, giving its owner control over specified uses.
• Licence — Permission with rules and conditions governing how another person's work or software may be used.
• Plagiarism — Presenting another person's idea or work as your own instead of acknowledging its source.
• Software piracy — Unauthorised use or distribution of software, including copying that the owner has not permitted.
• Sensitive data — Information whose exposure or misuse can cause substantial harm, embarrassment, inconvenience or unfairness to an individual.
• Digital footprint — The trail of data created by a person's activities while using the Internet.
• Spam — Junk email whose messages should not be answered and whose attachments should not be opened.
• Phishing — Deception using apparently authentic messages or websites to obtain sensitive personal information fraudulently.
• Cyberbullying — Repeatedly targeting someone online with behaviour intended to hurt, intimidate or embarrass that person.
• Digital etiquette — Standards of considerate and responsible conduct while communicating and interacting with other people online.
• Authentication — The process of checking the identity of a user who is seeking access.
• Encryption — Changing information into a protected form that requires the appropriate means to read it.

Common errors and misconceptions

• Misconception: Anything found online is free to reuse. Correct: Online availability does not provide permission. Check the copyright status and licence conditions before using the material.
• Misconception: Naming an image's creator automatically permits its use. Correct: Acknowledgement gives credit. If the owner does not permit free use, a reference alone does not provide permission.
• Misconception: Copyright and patents protect exactly the same things. Correct: Copyright protects original works; patents are usually granted for inventions and require an application.
• Misconception: Software copying is acceptable whenever the copies are free. Correct: Unauthorised copying can be piracy whether copies are sold, given away or made for personal use.
• Misconception: Deleting an online post removes its entire digital footprint. Correct: There is no guarantee that the footprint will be fully eliminated, including information stored beyond the user's control.
• Misconception: A familiar logo proves that a message is trustworthy. Correct: Phishing messages can imitate genuine organisations. Treat doubtful requests and links cautiously.
• Misconception: Online bullying cannot seriously affect someone in everyday life. Correct: Repeated targeting can have very serious implications for the victim, and online actions can leave traceable records.
• Misconception: Password protection is the whole of responsible social media use. Correct: Responsible use also involves checking information, considering uploads, respecting others and combining education, guidance and open communication.

Exam-style questions with model answers

Q1. Define ethical computing and state one responsibility towards another person's private photographs. [2 marks]

1. Ethical computing is responsible use of digital technology that respects other people's rights, privacy and creations.
2. Obtain the consent of the people involved before sharing photographs received in a private exchange with someone else.

Q2. What is spam? State how a recipient should respond to its messages and attachments. [2 marks]

1. Spam is junk email received by a user through an email service.
2. Do not reply to a spam message and do not open any attachment sent with that message.

Q3. Compare copyright and patents in terms of the subject protected, how protection is obtained and the owner's rights. [3 marks]

1. Copyright protects original works such as writing, photographs and computer software. A patent is usually granted for an invention.
2. Copyright is automatically granted to creators and authors. An inventor must apply for a patent before that protection is granted.
3. Copyright includes rights to reproduce, distribute, adapt and publicly display or perform a work. A patent gives its owner control over use, sale or distribution of the protected invention.

Q4. An image is downloaded for a project. Its copyright owner does not permit free use, and no permission has been obtained. The project names the image's creator. Explain whether the reference permits use, distinguish the two relevant checks, and state the required corrective action. [4 marks]

1. The reference does not permit the use: the question states that free use is not allowed and permission has not been obtained.
2. Acknowledging the creator addresses the question of credit and avoids presenting the image as the project writer's original creation.
3. Permission is a separate question about whether the owner authorises the intended use. Credit alone does not answer it.
4. Obtain the required permission before using the image under those conditions, while retaining appropriate acknowledgement of the creator.

Q5. Atharv leaves a shared computer without signing out of his email account. Revaan then uses that open account to send inflammatory messages to classmates as Atharv. Identify the misuse, explain the access problem, and give one preventive action for Atharv and one ethical action for Revaan. [4 marks]

1. Revaan misuses Atharv's identity by sending messages through Atharv's account, so the activity illustrates identity theft.
2. The account remained signed in on a shared computer. The next user could therefore use it without being its owner.
3. Atharv should sign out when finished so that his account is not left available to the next person.
4. Revaan should respect the account owner's privacy and refrain from reading or sending messages through that account.

Q6. Explain five measures for protecting data online: backups, antivirus protection, software updates, safe downloads and account passwords. [5 marks]

1. Take regular backups of important data. A backup is a separate copy that helps recover information if its working copy is lost or damaged.
2. Use antivirus software and keep it updated. It helps protect the computer against malicious code that can damage data or the system.
3. Update the browser and other software used on the computer. Maintaining software is part of the precautions used to reduce online risks.
4. Download software from known, secure sources. Avoid pirated programs and material from untrusted websites, and heed browser warnings about doubtful sites.
5. Use strong, different passwords for different websites, combining letters, numbers and special characters. Avoid common words or names, keep credentials private and change passwords periodically.

Q7. Explain six responsibilities in social media use, covering account security, unknown contacts, information checking, uploads, treatment of others and support through education, guidance and open communication. [6 marks]

1. Choose strong passwords and keep personal credentials private. Password protection helps safeguard accounts and the information accessible through them.
2. Be careful when connecting with unknown people. Their intentions possibly could be malicious and unsafe, and apparent friendliness does not establish their real identity.
3. Check posts and messages instead of blindly believing them. Use knowledge and experience to assess whether information is genuine before sharing it.
4. Think before uploading photographs or sensitive files. Consider privacy and consent, remembering that deleting a post does not guarantee elimination of its footprint.
5. Respect other people's privacy, differences and dignity. Avoid repeatedly targeting someone with threats, rumours or public ridicule, and do not encourage trolls.
6. Combine education about online risks with guidance and open communication. This allows understanding, informed choices and discussion of questions or concerns.

Q8. Define a digital footprint, distinguish active and passive footprints with an example of each, and explain the limitation of deleting online material. [3 marks]

1. A digital footprint is the trail of data left by online activity, including information submitted, websites visited and details of the device used.
2. An active footprint comes from intentional submission, such as writing an email. A passive footprint is generated unintentionally, such as the trail from visiting a website.
3. Deleting online material does not guarantee complete removal of its footprint. Most footprint data outside the browser is stored on servers that users may not control.

Key takeaways

• Ethical computing combines responsible conduct with respect for other people's privacy, creative work and rights in a digital environment.
• Copyright protects original works, while patents are usually granted for inventions and require an application by the inventor.
• Giving credit and obtaining permission are separate checks; a reference alone does not authorise every use of copyrighted material.
• Software piracy concerns unauthorised use or distribution, regardless of whether an unauthorised copy is sold or supplied without charge.
• Digital footprints include deliberately submitted information and unintentionally generated data; their complete removal from the Internet is not guaranteed.
• Do not reply to spam or open its attachments, and treat doubtful links and requests for personal information cautiously.
• Protect data through backups, updated software, careful downloads, strong passwords and responsible use of shared computers.
• Responsible social media use combines security, reliable sharing, respect for others, education, guidance and open communication.

Test yourself

What makes a person a netizen?

A netizen is a person who uses digital technology along with the Internet.

Why does a citation not replace a licence?

A citation acknowledges the source, while a licence gives permission under specified conditions. Credit alone does not authorise use.

Can giving away unauthorised software copies be piracy?

Yes. Unauthorised distribution can be piracy even when no payment is charged for the copies.

How does a passive digital footprint arise?

It arises unintentionally through activity such as visiting websites, browsing the Internet or using online applications.

Why must private photographs be handled carefully?

They can contain sensitive personal information, and further sharing requires the consent of those involved in the private exchange.

What is the danger in a phishing message?

It imitates a trustworthy source to persuade the recipient to disclose sensitive information such as a username or password.

How should an Internet troll's attempts to provoke quarrels be treated?

Do not give the provocative comments attention, because trolls thrive on attention and seek to upset others.

Which three connected approaches support responsible handling of social media?

Education, guidance and open communication together support awareness of online safety, digital etiquette and responsible participation.