ITGS Exam Information

Key Definitions:

Definitions and examples of social impacts and ethical considerations
The following definitions may be assessed.

It is expected that other appropriate examples would be used to reinforce the understanding of the
topic. These would not be assessed.

1.1 Reliability and integrity
Reliability refers to the operation of hardware, the design of software, the accuracy of data
or the correspondence of data with the real world. Data may be unreliable if it has been entered
incorrectly or if it becomes outdated. The reliability of machines, software and data determines
our confidence in their value.

Integrity refers to safeguarding the accuracy and completeness of stored data. Data lacks integrity
when it has been changed accidentally or tampered with. Examples of data losing integrity are where
information is duplicated in a relational database and only one copy is updated or where data
entries have been maliciously altered.

1.2 Security
Security refers to the protection of hardware, software, machines and networks from unauthorized
access. Security measures include restricted access to machines and networks for certain employees
or to prevent access by hackers. The degree of security of information systems largely determines
society’s confidence in the information contained in the systems.

1.3 Privacy and anonymity
Privacy is the ability of individuals and groups to determine for themselves when, how and to what
extent information about themselves is shared with others. At its extreme, privacy becomes
anonymity when, for instance, a person uses it to conceal his or her true identity in order to
cyber-bully someone else. Conversely, excessive privacy could also conceal the perpetrators of
criminal, terrorist or computer hacking acts from law enforcement agencies.

1.4 Intellectual property
Intellectual property includes ideas, discoveries, writings, work s of ar t, sof t ware, collec
tions and presentations of data. Copyright, trademarks and patents exist to protect intellectual
property. However, the easy and accurate duplication methods made available through IT can
undermine such protection.

1.5 Authenticity
Authenticity means establishing a user’s identity beyond reasonable doubt. Authenticating the user
is crucial in many scenarios, particularly in business and legal matters. A simple example of
authentication is a user login to a network. A more advanced example would be the use of encrypted
digital signatures in a business transaction or the use of watermarking on digital photographs.

1.6 The digital divide and equality of access
The growth of the use of IT systems has led to disparities in the use of, and access to,
information technologies. Disparities exist not only internationally between countries, but also
within countries between different socio-economic groups as well as within what may appear to be
relatively homogenous groups. This may lead to groups or individuals without access to IT being
disadvantaged. For example, while telelearning may bring previously unavailable opportunities to
everyone’s doorstep, factors such as the cost and availability of hardware, software or access to
the internet may create a “digital divide”.

1.7 Surveillance
Surveillance is the use of IT to monitor the actions of people. For example, monitoring may be used
to track, record and assess employees’ performance. It can be used to support claims for promotion
or to ensure that employees follow the organization’s internet policy appropriately.

1.8 Globalization and cultural diversity
Globalization means the diminishing importance of geographical, political, economic and cultural
boundaries. IT has played a major role in reducing these boundaries. For example, any dramatic
event anywhere in the world can be broadcast almost instantly by television or on the internet.
However, the new “global village” may lead to the extinction of minority languages.

1.9 Policies
Policies are enforceable measures intended to promote appropriate and discourage inappropriate use
relating to information technologies. They can be developed by governments, businesses, private
groups or individuals. They normally consist of rules governing access to, or use of, information,
hardware, software and networks. For example, a school policy on the use of IT would consist of
each user signing an acceptable- use policy. It would also address unlawful access to the network
through, for example, identity theft or using hacking sof tware, and how these transgressions would
be treated. Many websites also require users to agree to specific policies before allowing access
to their services.

Policies also affect the exchange of information, for example, by making it subject to copyright
laws and raising people’s awareness of plagiarism. In general, policies can promote or restrict
access, guide behaviour, require the fulfillment of certain conditions prior to or during use, or
need to be developed to address unforeseen issues such as cyber-bullying.

1.10 Standards and protocols
Standards and protocols are technical rules and conventions that enable compatibility and therefore
facilitate communication or interoperability between dif ferent IT systems and their components.
They might govern the design and use of hardware, software and information. For example, the
communication protocols used on the internet, the ASCII representations for characters, or the
design of the printer port on a personal computer are all governed by standards.

1.11 People and machines
The use of IT systems brings significant advantages, for instance in ease of use, being available
24/7, or through its use rather than exposing humans to a potentially hazardous environment.
However, this can raise concerns about the rate at which technology is being introduced and issues
that may arise from insufficient testing in critical situations such as air traffic control. The
ultimate fear of many people is that future systems will be programmed to make decisions that would
be better taken by humans, such as the decision to deploy nuclear weapons.

There are also social impacts such as internet addiction, where people feel that they can never get
away from IT and are trapped on a “digital treadmill”.

1.12 Digital citizenship
Digital citizenship can be def ined as appropriate behaviour that represents the responsible,
ethical and legal approach that individuals take in any situation with respect to the use of IT.
Digital citizenship permeates, in one way or another, all of the preceding social and ethical
considerations.

Other specific social and ethical considerations
Other social and ethical considerations may emerge during different scenarios discussed in class.
These may be related to changes in attitudes towards the use of IT systems, or new developments in
IT such as social networking or e-assessment.