Computer Studies / Data Processing · Lesson 10

Computer ethics, cybercrime law, security, malware, maintenance and professions

JAMBWAECNECO

What the syllabus asks

JAMB: Section E Computer maintenance and safety measures (booting and shutting down, cold and warm booting; cleaning; charging and replacing batteries of portable systems and UPS; cleaning drive lens; hardware and software maintenance; recovering data from a crashed system; computer room management: sitting arrangement, positioning of peripherals, illumination, dust-free environment, keep liquids…

WAEC: Security and ethics (sources of breaches: viruses, worms, Trojan horses, poor network implementation, lack of ICT policies, carelessness, hackers, spammers; preventive measures: antivirus e.g. Norton, McAfee, Avast, firewall, encryption, web certificates, care with attachments; legal issues: copyright, ownership of text, images, audio and video, privacy, cybercrimes: identity theft, internet…

NECO: Security and ethics (sources of breaches: viruses, worms, Trojan horses, poor network implementation, lack of ICT policies, carelessness, hackers, spammers; preventive measures: antivirus e.g. Norton, McAfee, Avast, firewall, encryption, web certificates, care with attachments; legal issues: copyright, ownership of text, images, audio and video, privacy, cybercrimes: identity theft, internet…

What you will learn

Define computer ethics and computer-related crime and give examples.
Explain legal issues: copyright, privacy and cybercrime, and name Nigerian laws.
Define computer security, list its types and match tools to them.
State the CIA triad and explain the sources of security breaches.
Define and distinguish viruses, worms, Trojans and other malware; give warning signs and sources.
Describe common cyber threats, including phishing, SQL injection, man-in-the-middle and denial of service.
Explain preventive measures, including antivirus, firewall, encryption and web certificates, and give safety tips.
Describe cold and warm booting and the correct shutdown procedure.
Carry out routine hardware and software maintenance and data recovery.
Apply computer-room management, safety and ergonomic rules.
List careers in computing, the qualities of a good professional, and professional bodies with their duties.

Key points

Computer ethics: moral principles of responsible computer use; computer crime: illegal acts using or targeting computers (hacking, fraud, identity theft, piracy).
Responsibility for failure usually lies with people: programmers, analysts, vendors, users, management or attackers.
Copyright protects text, images, audio, video and software; piracy is illegal copying.
Nigerian laws: Cybercrimes Act 2015 (amended 2024), Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 (NDPC), Copyright Act 2022.
Security types: network, internet, application, data, information, end-user; CIA = confidentiality, integrity, availability.
Breach sources: malware, poor network implementation, lack of ICT policies, carelessness, hackers and spammers.
Application threats: input, authorisation, session management, parameter tampering.
Virus needs a host; worm self-spreads; Trojan disguises itself; also spyware, adware, ransomware, botnets, Dridex, Emotet.
Virus signs: slowness, crashes, missing or shortcut files, pop-ups, disabled antivirus.
Threats: phishing, SQL injection, man-in-the-middle, DoS/DDoS, romance scams, cyberterrorism.
Protection: antivirus (Norton, McAfee, Avast), firewall (filters traffic), encryption (plaintext → ciphertext), HTTPS certificates, VPN, backups, updates, strong passwords.
Cold boot from power-off; warm boot = restart; shut down through the operating system.
Maintenance: cleaning, battery and UPS care, lens cleaning, hardware and software maintenance, data recovery from backups.
Safety: good posture, monitor at or below eye level, good lighting, no liquids, dust-free room, lab rules.
Careers: developers, analysts, DBAs, network engineers, data scientists, security and forensic analysts, educators; bodies: CPN (regulator, 1993), NCS (from COAN, 1978/2002).

Start here: Computer ethics and computer-related crime

Computer ethics is the set of moral principles that guide how people use computers and information: honesty, respect for others’ property and privacy, and responsibility for the effects of one’s actions. Something can be legal but still unethical (reading a friend’s open chats without permission), so ethics goes further than the law.

Computer-related crime

A computer crime (cybercrime) is any illegal act in which a computer or network is the tool, the target or the storage place of evidence. Examples (JAMB and WAEC):

Hacking: unauthorised access to a computer system.
Compromising computer systems: planting malware, defacing websites, disabling services.
Theft of hardware, data, money (electronic fraud), or computer time.
Internet fraud: advance-fee scams (“419”), fake online shops, fake job offers and romance scams.
Identity theft: using someone’s name, BVN, NIN, photos or card details to deceive.
Software piracy and copyright infringement.
Cyberstalking, cyberbullying and distributing illegal content.
Cyberterrorism: attacks on critical systems such as power, banking or water to cause fear or harm.

Responsibility for computer failure

When a computer system fails (a bank’s app stops, wrong exam results are released, a hospital system crashes), responsibility may lie with the programmer (bugs), the systems analyst (poor design), the vendor (faulty hardware), the operator or user (wrong data, careless use), the management (no backup, no maintenance budget, no policy) or outside attackers. “The computer made a mistake” is rarely true: the cause is usually human. Organisations reduce failures by testing, documentation, backup, maintenance contracts, staff training and clear policies.

Ethical guidelines for users

Do not use a computer to harm others or to steal.
Do not access, change or delete other people’s files without permission.
Do not copy or use software you have not paid for or are not licensed to use.
Respect privacy; do not share others’ personal information or photos.
Acknowledge sources; do not plagiarise.
Follow the acceptable-use rules of your school or employer.
Think about the social consequences of programs you write.

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Practice questions

1. A program that attaches itself to files and spreads when they are run is a

virus
firewall
compiler
driver

Show answer

A: virus
Worms spread on their own.

2. Malware disguised as useful software is a

worm
firewall
patch
Trojan horse

Show answer

D: Trojan horse
It does not replicate itself.

3. Malware that encrypts files and demands payment is

freeware
spyware
ransomware
adware

Show answer

C: ransomware
E.g. WannaCry (2017).

4. Tricking people into revealing passwords through fake e-mails or sites is

debugging
phishing
hacking by brute force
spamming

Show answer

B: phishing
Spam is unwanted bulk mail.

5. A firewall

controls network traffic in and out of a computer
cools the CPU
prevents fire
speeds up printing

Show answer

A: controls network traffic in and out of a computer
It blocks unauthorised access.

Key words

Computer ethics: Moral principles that guide the responsible use of computers and information.
Computer crime: An illegal act in which a computer is the tool or the target.
Hacker: A person who gains unauthorised access to computer systems (ethical hackers test systems with permission).
Spammer: A person who sends unsolicited bulk messages (spam).
Copyright: The legal right of a creator to control copying and use of an original work.
Software piracy: Illegal copying, distribution or use of software.
Privacy: The right of individuals to control information about themselves.
Identity theft: Using another person’s personal details to commit fraud.
Malware: Malicious software: viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware, ransomware, adware.
Virus: A program that attaches to files and copies itself when they run, often causing damage.
Worm: Self-replicating malware that spreads across networks without a host file.
Trojan horse: Malware disguised as useful software.

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