LIVING IN THE IT ERA

MODULE 4:
~THE NETIQUETTE AND
THE COMPUTER ETHICS
Overview

The Netiquette and Computer

ethics discuss about the ethical
issues in the field of computer. May
it be in online or practising in
professional.
Objective
At the end of this module, you should be able
to:
• Discuss the importance of being a responsible
netizen by following the rules of common
courtesy online and the informal “rules of the
road” of cyber space
• Discuss the difference between privacy and
security.
• Explain various risks to internet privacy.
WHAT IS NETIQUETTE?
NETIQUETTE

Netiquette is a set of rules for online

behavior, requiring good breeding or
authority to be followed in social or
official life.
Netiquette, or network etiquette, focuses on the
appropriate online communication practices,
adapted from Virginia Shea's Core Rules of
Netiquette, for a positive virtual world
experience.
 Follow netiquette rules when using online
communication tools like email, instant messenger,
video calls, or discussion boards to communicate
effectively with instructors, classmates, and potential
employers.

REMEMBER THE GOLDEN RULE: Even though your

interacting with a computer screen, you are
communicating with a real person who will react to
your message. Make a good impression - treat others
with the same respect that you would like to receive
and avoid confrontation or offensive language.
To help convey meaning when creating messages,
it is sometimes acceptable to include appropriate
emoticon symbols, such as a smiley face .
However, for professional communication these
would be inappropriate.

• AVOID SLANG, ACRONYMS, AND TEXT TALK -

Communicating effectively in college and business
environments requires the use of correct terminology,
spelling, and grammar that can easily be understood.
For example, use “ your” instead of “ur”.
• AVOID “ SCREAMING” IN TYPED MESSAGES - Typing an
entire message using all capital letters is known as
“screaming”. It is distracting and generally frowned upon in
professional environments. It is better to draw emphasis to
selected words or phrases by: using italic or bold text; using
a different color for text or background color; or denoting
emphasis using special characters ( Example:
(**Important**).

• PROOFREAD YOUR MESSAGES BEFORE SENDING THEM

- Proofreading your messages before you send them is a
best practice for effective and efficient communication.
Strive to make your communications concise and free of any:

 Spelling and grammar errors

 Confusing terms or phrases that could be misunderstood
 Errors of omission, such as missing content or recipients
 Errors in accuracy of imformation

EXERCISE GOOD JUDGEMENT WHEN SHARING IMFORMATION

WITH OTHERS ONLINE - E-mail and chat messages that you
send or receive are considered private and should not be
forwarded or copied to others without the consent of all
involved participants. It is a good practice to always ask post’s
author for permission before sharing a post with other parties.
1) To protect your privacy and safety, do not share online any
sensitive personal information such as:

 Your home address or phone number

 Personal converations
 Social plans, such as vacations
 Financial information
 Usernames, passwords, or hints
 Anything personal that you would not want shared by other
over the internet
2) Obtain permission from the original author or copyright
holder when sharing online material, as plagiarism can damage
reputation and lead to academic and legal consequences.
RESPECT DIVERSITY IN VIEWPOINTS - Be constructive and
respectful when sharing opinions, beliefs, and criticisms, or
responding to those of other in the conversation.

• When sharing a viewpoint that differs from someone else's,

it is a best practice to first acknowledge the other person by
briefly restating what he or she said, but in your own words.
This lets the person know that you are listening and trying
to understand them.

• When presenting an opinion or criticism, use phrases that

clearly identify the point of view being referred to. For
personal opinions, start with "In my experience" or "In my
opinion," while for others' viewpoints, include "According to
Eric Ericson" or "The president believes."
Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics
RULE 1. When communicating electronically, remember the
Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto
you. Your written words are read by real people, deserving of
respectful communication. Before sending or submitting, ask
yourself if you would be okay with the content if someone else
had written it.

Rule 2: Maintain the same standards of behavior in the virtual

world as in real life. Although virtual standards may differ, they
should not be lower. Act within societal laws and ethical manners
while in cyberspace. Do not behave rudely to others in real life,
and the same should be done in the virtual world.
RULE 3: Know where you are in cyberspace "Netiquette varies
from domain to domain." (Shea, 1994) Depending on where you
are in the virtual world, the same written communication can be
acceptable in one area, where it might be considered
inappropriate in another. What you text to a friend may not be
appropriate in an email to a classmate or colleague.

Rule 4: Respect other people's time and bandwidth when

communicating online. Electronic communication requires time
to read and respond, and many people have busy lives. As a
virtual world communicator, it's your responsibility to ensure
that the time spent reading your words isn't wasted. Make your
written communication meaningful and to the point, without
unnecessary text, graphics, or attachments that may take
forever to download.
Rule 5: Online writing is a virtual world where there's no
judgment about physical appearance, voice, or clothing.
However, you'll be judged by the quality of your writing. Check
for spelling and grammar errors, state clearly, and be pleasant
and polite. The virtual world offers a sense of freedom, but it's
important to maintain good grammar and spelling.

Rule 6: Share expert knowledge on the Internet. The ease of

sharing information is a key reason the Internet was founded. In
the spirit of its "founding fathers," share your knowledge by
posting questions and receiving intelligent answers. If you are
an expert, share resources and references about your subject
matter. Share your recently expanded knowledge about a
subject that might be of interest to others.
Rule 7: Help keep flame wars under control What is meant by
"flaming" and "flame wars?" "Flaming is what people do when
they express a strongly held opinion without holding back any
emotion." (Shea, 1994). As an example, think of the kinds of
passionate comments you might read on a sports blog. While
"flaming" is not necessarily forbidden in virtual communication,
"flame wars," when two or three people exchange angry posts
between one another, must be controlled or the camaraderie of
the group could be compromised. Don't feed the flames;
extinguish them by guiding the discussion back to a more
productive direction.
Rule 8: Respect other people's privacy when reading in the
virtual world, such as online discussion forums, Facebook pages,
or emails. Handle personal information with care, as it could
lead to embarrassment, hurt feelings, or job loss. Be cautious
when discussing virtual communication and expect others to
respect your privacy.

Rule 9: Don't abuse your power, as having more knowledge or

expertise in a particular field doesn't give you the right to take
advantage of others. Remember that Rule 1: Remember the
human, and don't take advantage of others. Be cautious when
discussing virtual communication and be aware of potential
consequences if the information gets into the wrong hands.
Rule 10: Be forgiving of other people's mistakes Not
everyone has the same amount of experience working in the
virtual world. And not everyone knows the rules of
netiquette. At some point, you will see a stupid question,
read an unnecessarily long response, or encounter
misspelled words; when this happens, practice kindness and
forgiveness as you would hope someone would do if you had
committed the same offense. If it's a minor "offense." you
might want to let it slide. If you feel compelled to respond to
a mistake, do so in a private email rather than a public
forum.
LESSON 2:
CYBERCRIMES
WHAT IS CYBER?
DEFINITION:

-It is the characteristics of the culture of

computers,information,, tecnology, and
virtual reality.
CYBERCRIME - is defined as a crime in which a computer is the
object of the crime ( Hacking, phising, spamming, and child
pornography) is used as a tool to commit an offense.

CYBERCRIMINALS - may use computer technology to access

personal information, business trade secret or use the internet
for exploitative or malicious purposes.
Republic Act No. 10175 Cybercrime Prevention Act 2012 is a law
in the Philippines approved on September 12, 2012 which aims
to adress legal issues concerning online interactions.

Republic Act No. 10173 Data Privacy of 2012 is an act protecting

individual personal information.
 COMMON FORMS OF CYBERCRIMES:

a. Copyright - the exclusive legal right, given

originator or an assignee to print, publish,
perform , film, or record literacy, artistic, or
musical material, and to authorize others to the
same.

Copyright Infringement - is the violation,

privacy or theft of a copyright holder’s exclusive
right through the unauthorized use of copyrighted
material or work.
 b. Plagiarism

An act or instance of using or closely imitating the language and thoughts of

another author without authorization.

c. Computer Addiction

• Offline: generally used when speaking about excessive gaming behavior,

which can be practiced both offline and online.

• Online: Also known as "Intemet Addiction", gets more attention in general

from scientific research than offline computer addiction, mainly because
most cases of computer addiction are related to the excessive use of the
Internet.

"Virtual Self-The persona you create about yourself virtually.

 CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES

a. Hacking

• Unauthorized access of or interference with computer

systems, servers, or other information and communication
systems

• Unauthorized access to corrupt, alter, steal, or destroy

electronic data using computers or other information and
communication systems without the computer or system
owner's knowledge and consent

• The introduction of computer viruses resulting in the

corruption, alteration, theft, or loss of such data
• Illegal Access

• Illegal Interception

• Data Interference

• System Interference

• Misuse of Devices

• Infection of IT Systems with Malware-if the act is committed against

critical infrastructure of the Philippines the, penalty is between 12-20
years reclusion temporal

• Six years up to twelve years of imprisonment also known as prison

mayor.
b. Computer-related forgery, fraud and/or identity theft

• An attempt to obtain sensitive information such as usernames,

passwords, and credit card details and (indirectly money),
often for malicious reasons.

• Phishing

• Pharming

• Spam

• Maximum of Php 200.000 fine or prison mayor

c. Electronic theft

• Illegal Downloading

• Obtaining files that you do not have the right to use from the
internet.

• Digital Piracy
• Practice of illegally copying and selling digital music, video,
computer software, etc.
• Copyright infringement
• Penalty of Php 50,000-500, 000 and or prison mayor
d. Cyberbullying

• The use of electronic communication to bully a person,

typically by sending a message of an intimidating or
threatening nature.

• The Anti-Bullying Act of 2013 (RA 10627)

e. Cybersex

• Willful engagement, maintenance, control, or operation,

directly or indirectly of any lascivious exhibition of sexual
organs or sexual activity with the aid of a computer system for
favor or consideration.
• There is a discussion on this matter if it involves "couples" or
"people in relationship" who engage in cybersex.

• Penalty at least Php 200,000 and or prison mayor

f. Child Pornography

• is a form of child sexual exploitation.

• Unlawful or prohibited acts defined and punishable by

Republic Act No. 9775 or the Anti- Child Pomography Act of
2009, committed through a computer system.
• Penalty of 12-20 years of imprisonment or reclusion temporal

g. Cyber Defamation

• Is an unprivileged false statement of fact which tends to harm

the reputation of a person or company.

• Penalty of 6-12 years of imprisonment or prison mayor.

LESSON 3:
INTERNET THREATS
 HACKING

Hacking - is a method used by cyber criminals

to gain unauthorized access to a computer,
facilitated by the availability of online
information on tools, techniques, and malware,
making it easier for even non-technical
individuals to engage in malicious activities.
What it can do:

• Find weaknesses (or pre-existing bugs) in your

security settings and exploit them in order to
access your information.

• Install a Trojan horse, providing a back door for

hackers to enter and search for your
information.
 MALWARE

Malware is one of the more common ways to

infiltrate or damage your computer. Malicious
software that infects your computer, such as
computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, spyware,
and adware.
What it can do:

• Intimidate you with scareware, which is usually a pop-up

message that tells you your computer has a security
problem or other false information.
• Reformat the hard drive of your computer causing you to
lose all your information.
• Alter or delete files.
• Steal sensitive information.
• Send emails on your behalf.
• Take control of your computer and all the software running
on it.
 PHARMING

Pharming is a common type of online fraud. A

means to point you to a malicious and
illegitimate website by redirecting the legitimate
URL. Even if the URL is entered correctly, it can
still be redirected to a fake website.
What it can do:

• Convince you that the site is real and

legitimate by spoofing or looking almost
identical to the actual site down to the
smallest details. You may enter your personal
information and unknowingly give it to
someone with malicious intent.
• PHISING

Phishing is used most often by cyber criminals

because it's easy to execute and can produce the
results they're looking for with very little effort.

Fake emails, text messages and websites created to

look like they're from authentic companies. They're
sent by criminals to steal personal and financial
information from you. This is also known as "spoofing".
What it does:

• Trick you into giving them information by asking you

to update, validate or confirm your account. It is
often presented in a manner than seems official and
intimidating, to encourage you to take action.

• Provides cyber criminals with your username and

passwords so that they can access your accounts
(your online bank account, shopping accounts, etc.)
and steal your credit card numbers.
• RANSOMEWARE

Ransomware is a type of malware that restricts

access to your computer or your files and displays a
message that demands payment in order for the
restriction to be removed. The two most common
means of infection appear to be phishing emails that
contain malicious attachments and website pop-up
advertisements.
What it can do:

• There are two common types of ransomware:

• Lockscreen ransomware: displays an image that
prevents you from accessing your computer
• Encryption ransomware: encrypts files on your
system's hard drive and sometimes on shared
network drives, USB drives, extemal hard drives,
and even some cloud storage drives, preventing
you from opening them
• Ransomware will display a notification stating
that your computer or data have been locked
and demanding a payment be made for you to
regain access. Sometimes the notification
states that authorities have detected illegal
activity on your computer, and that the
payment is a fine to avoid prosecution.
What you can do:

• Do not pay the ransom. These threats are meant

to scare and intimidate you, and they do not
come from a law enforcement agency. Even if
you submit payment, there is no guarantee that
you will regain access to your system.

• If your computer has been infected (i.e. you are

unable to access your computer or your files
have been encrypted), contact a reputable
computer technician or specialist to find out
whether your computer can be repaired and your
• In order to lessen the impact of a
ransomware infection, be sure to regularly
back-up your data with a removable external
storage drive. It's possible that your files
might be irretrievable; having an up-to-date
backup could be invaluable.
SPAM

Spam is one of the more common methods of

both sending information out and collecting it from
unsuspecting people.

The mass distribution of unsolicited messages,

advertising or pornography to addresses which can
be easily found on the Internet through things like
social networking sites, company websites and
personal blogs.
What it can do:

• Annoy you with unwanted junk mail.

• Create a burden for communications service
providers and businesses to filter electronic
messages.
• Phish for your information by tricking you into
following links or entering details with too-good- to-
be-true offers and promotions.
• Provide a vehicle for malware, scams, fraud and
threats to your privacy.
Spyware (Spyware & Adware)

Spyware and adware are often used by third

parties to infiltrate your computer.

What it is:

Software that collects personal information about

you without you knowing. They often come in the
form of a 'free' download and are installed
automatically with or without your consent. These
are difficult to remove and can infect your computer
with viruses.
What it can do:

• Collect information about you without you knowing

about it and give it to third parties.
• Send your usernames, passwords, surfing habits, list
of applications you've downloaded, settings, and
even the version of your operating system to third
parties.
• Change the way your computer runs without your
knowledge.
• Take you to unwanted sites or inundate you with
uncontrollable pop-up ads.
Trojan Horses

A Trojan horse may not be a term you're

familiar with, but there's a good chance you or
someone you know has been affected by one. A
malicious program that is disguised as, or
embedded within, legitimate software. It is an
executable file that will install itself and run
automatically once it's downloaded.
What it can do:

• Delete your files,

• Use your computer to hack other computers.
• Watch you through your web cam.
• Log your keystrokes (such as a credit card number
you entered in an online purchase).
• Record usernames, passwords and other personal
information.
Viruses

Most people have heard of computer viruses, but

not many know exactly what they are or what they
do.

Malicious computer programs that are often sent as

an email attachment or a download with the intent of
infecting your computer, as well as the computers of
everyone in your contact list. Just visiting a site can
start an autornatic download of a virus
What they can do:

• Send spam.
• Provide criminals with access to your computer and
contact lists.
• Scan and find personal information like passwords on your
computer.
• Hijack your web browser.
• Disable your security settings.
• Display unwanted ads.
• When a program is running, the virus attached to it could
infiltrate your hard drive and also spread to USB keys and
external hard drives. Any attachment you create using this
program and send to someone else could also infect them
with the virus.
How will you know if your computer is
infected?
Here are a few things to check for:

• It takes longer than usual for your computer to

start up, it restarts on its own or doesn't start up at
all.
• It takes a long time to launch a program.
• Files and data have disappeared.
• Your system and programs crash constantly.
• The homepage you set on your web browser is
• Web pages are slow to load.
• Your computer screen looks distorted.
• Programs are running without your control.
• If you suspect a problem, make sure your
security software is up to date and run it to
check for infection. If nothing is found, or if
you are unsure of what to do, seek technical
help.
Wi-Fi Eavesdropping

WiFi eavesdropping is another method used by

cyber criminals to capture personal information.

Virtual "listening in" on information that's shared

over an unsecure (not encrypted) WiFi network.
What it can do:

• Potentially access your computer with the

right equipment.
• Steal your personal information including
logins and passwords.
Worms

Worms are a common threat to computers and the

Internet as a whole.

A worm, unlike a virus, goes to work on its own

without attaching itself to files or programs. It lives in
your computer memory, doesn't damage or alter the
hard drive and propagates by sending itself to other
computers in a network-whether within
What they can do:

• Spread to everyone in your contact list.

• Cause a tremendous amount of damage by
shutting down parts of the Internet, wreaking
havoc on an internal network and costing
companies' enormous amounts of lost revenue.
THANK YOU