Module 7 - Computer Abuses

1. What is spamming? Differentiate it from flaming.

Spamming is the posting or sending of unsolicited e-mails, –generally advertisements–, to a large number of people. Flaming is sending nasty, hostile e-mail or messages to another people or newsgroup. Spamming is differentiated from flaming by the content of the messages sent. With spamming, recipients receive unsolicited messages that contains product offers while with flaming, recipient receive messages that are annoying, rude, disrespectful of others opinion.

2. What are computer worms and viruses? Explain how these operate. Give examples.

A computer worm is a computer program that has the ability to copy itself from machine to machine. It infects other computers, but it is spread to other computers on a network automatically and without the action of humans. A worm doesn't alter or delete files but instead they reside in memory, eat up system resources, and slow down your computer.

An example is Mydoom or Norvarg worm as the largest virus-like outbreak. The worm infects computers using Windows, although other computers were affected by network slowdowns and a flood of bogus messages. Unlike other mass-mailing worms, Mydoom does not attempt to trick victims by promising nude pictures of celebrities or mimicking personal notes. Instead, one of its messages reads: "The message contains Unicode characters and has been sent as a binary attachment."

Computer virus is a program that reproduces itself and spread from file to file by attaching to other applications. When the application is run, it infects and destroy files on other user’s disk. Files get infected with virus through human interaction. This is performed by downloading files, trading diskettes with others, copying files to/from file servers, or sending e-mail attachments. Some

An example is the Melissa macro virus that infects the machine with Microsoft Word 97 or Word 2000. It attaches itself to email attachments and propagate by opening the attachment in MS Word application. Any mail handling system could experience performance problems or a denial of service as a result of the propagation of this macro virus. This virus was so powerful that it forced a number of very large companies to completely turn off their e-mail systems until virus is controlled.

3. Choose one example of computer abuse which you think is morally wrong. Explain why you consider it morally wrong using any of the ethical principles you have learned in the earlier modules.

Based on our module (Module 7, p51-52), Hacking involves unauthorized access to a computer, its files, and programs. Here are some reasons for hacking:
1. Theft service
2. Take valuable files
3. Vengeance and hatred

By merely looking at some of these reasons for hacking, it simply shows that hacking is morally wrong. First and foremost, hacking can be associated with stealing which is against the Divine Law and Moral Law. Stealing is universal in nature and it defies ethical absolutism which states that one must follow consistent ethical standards, one that is universal in nature. It also go against Aristotle’s Nicomachean Theory, which stresses that moral ideas such as righteousness, fairness, goodness, and justice apply in the evaluation of computing as a human action.