COMPUTERS IN POLITE SOCIETY Social Implications of IT chapter 12.

COMPUTERS IN POLITE SOCIETY

Social Implications of IT

chapter12

Copyright © Addison-Wesley or Glenn L. Ray 2

Computers In Society

• Five email issues• Misunderstood emotions• Emphasis (minimize the caps)• Conversational pace• Ambiguity• Flaming

• Sensible advice on email • Be careful, thoughtful, brief• Don’t assume its confidential



• Email netiquette• Keep it simple, 1 topic preferred• Provide context so recipient is ‘clued in’

• Helpful subject:• Follow instructions (Subject: INFSCI 0010)!!

• Automated reply if out-of-pocket• Respond in reverse chronological order• Sender’s permission before forwarding



• The Role of Passwords• Crucial foundation of computer security• Authentication: Ensure you’re a valid

user, i.e., logging in• Authorization: Ensure a valid user can

access a certain resource in the system

• Heuristics• Best advice or guidelines for solving a problem

when an algorithm doesn’t exist



• Guidelines for Selecting a Password

• Base passwords on topic of interest• Base password on phrase, not single word• Encode it and make it short• Have to comply with system password

policy• Much easier to remember passwords if

you use the topic approach



• Disadvantages of passwords• Hard to remember• Hard to keep secure• Easy to crack

• In the future, we’ll probably evolve toward biometric authentication• Iris scan• Finerprint scan


Viruses, Worms and Scams

• Phishing• Enticing a user to divulge sensitive info in

response to a request the user believes to be authentic

• Common phishing scams• Email requests updated account info with

link to site that looks authentic• Phony storefront harvests credit card info• Phony messages from supposed eBay

sellers



• Virus• A program that infects other systems• Copies itself, infecting other programs• Usually damages host system

• Worm• Virus that spreads across network(s)• Could bring down the internet

• Trojan Horse• Innocuous program that carries a virus or worm• Anna Kournikova picture• Screensavers



• Back door• Code that allows remote access to a system

without the owner’s knowledge or permission

• Can be done by virus or intentional coding• Commercial SW vendors have done it, some

intentionally

• Part of closed vs. open source SW debate• With OSS, you can check the source code for

back doors



• Major implications for international relations and trade

• During Reagan era, US sabotaged Russian natural gas facility with faulty code

• Why would foreign governments trust commercial closed source code?



Getting Infected . . .• Email attachments that are executable• Don’t open email you’re not sure about• Don’t download attachments you’re not sure

about

• Accidentally Infecting Others

• Virus-checking Software• Get it, keep it updated and use it!• Norton Anti-Virus is free for Pitt students!


Intellectual Property

• Copyright• Software is usually not ‘sold’, its licensed• When you buy software you don’t own it• You have ‘right’ to use it• Rights are enforced via owner’s copyright



• Licensing of Software• Important to understand major types of

licenses• Affects users and developers

• Common licenses• Microsoft XP• GNU GPL• Apache License• FreeBSD• MIT• Other open source licenses



• Copyright litigation is major area of competition between commercial and free software interests

• Customers leery of using SW if they are afraid of being sued

• SCO has sued IBM and others over Unix code in Linux



• SCO vs. IBM Linux lawsuit• SCO alleges copyrighted Unix code is in

Linux• Wants millions in damages• MS purchased Unix license from SCO,

implying their license was valuable• MS also involved with venture group that

invested in SCO; funds used for litigation • Novell alleges SCO doesn’t even own

copyright to Linux• SCO has embedded Unix code in Linux in

the past



• Software Patents• Potentially a bigger issue than copyrights• Probably the primary battleground of SW

competition in the future• Patent definition• Patent holder has exclusive rights for 20

years

• Large SW companies, like MS and IBM, hold 100s if not 1000s of SW patents



• Examples of SW Patents• Common algorithms taught in CS courses• Test taking via the internet• Internet protocols used for e-commerce• Sun has filed for patent on its charge of

$X/user/year for its Linux version (Java Desktop System)

• US Patent & Trade Office staff not well qualified for assessing patentability



• Patent owner can

• Charge royalty for use of patent

• Discriminate against competitors by refusing to license

• Use patent portfolio to prevent being sued for using someone else’s patent



• Patents are the ‘Hidden weapons of mass destruction in the SW industry’!

• Large SW companies are in a race to file patents in order to protect their turf and discourage patent lawsuits from competitors

• How can a developer be certain no patents are being violated when 1000’s of them exist?



• Patent insurance is available but expensive

• Patent lawsuits are extremely expensive• On order of $500,000

• Patent violations can be gigantic• MS recently settled several out of court for $100s

of millions

• Difficult, if not impossible, for small players to compete



• Patents used as competitive threat in cases where its unclear a patent infringement exists

• Creates FUD• Fear Uncertainty & Doubt

• Microsoft’s CEO, Steve Ballmer alleged over 200 patent violations in Linux



• Ballmer’s ‘helpful advice’ created an uproar last week

• It has been rebutted by the source of the study he quoted

• And the rebutter is a lawyer accused of trying to drum up insurance business!



• European Union currently debating SW patent law• Plans were to follow US practice of allowing

patents• There is increasing opposition to SW

patents• Future is still in doubt

• Major policy debate between fostering free enterprise and protecting the public interest



• Spyware• SW placed on your computer that

monitors your surfing activities• Usually installed without your

knowledge/consent• Invasion of privacy issue• Can be used to steal sensitive info like

passwords, credit card numbers



• Surveillance Spyware• Monitors your system/records your

activities• Can log every keystroke• Can capture every screen display• Used by corporations, law enforcement,

suspicious spouses



• Advertising Spyware• Usually installed along with other software

without user’s knowledge, gathers:• Email addresses• Passwords• Credit card numbers• URL’s of sites visited• Online buying habits• Info about PC system• User name, age, sex



• Purveyors of Spyware• Peer-to-peer programs like Kazaa,

Limewire, IMesh, Bearshare• They load advertising spyware on

system• SW that let’s you optionally install other

3rd party SW • Very easy for spyware to hijack IE



• How to fight spyware• Assume you have spyware on your system• Download/install spyware detection SW• Spybot R&D gets good reviews• Update/Immunize your system frequently• At work, assume your system is monitored• Use Firewall SW, such as ZoneAlarm Pro

• It will alert you when SW on your system attempts to access the network

• USE FIREFOX INSTEAD OF IE!!



• Social and economic issues • Will consumers use internet for business if they’re

concerned theft

• Will they use it for personal, social or political purposes if they’re concerned about privacy?

• How do consumers protect themselves?

• Will government protect consumers or is government part of the problem? It’s an international issue, not a domestic one!

• How do you get reliable information on infectious SW or spyware?


Software Reliability

• Safety-Critical Applications

• Fail-Soft and Fail-Safe Software

COMPUTERS IN POLITE SOCIETY Social Implications of IT chapter 12.

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