10.8 Information Systems, Malpractice and Crime

Computer crime is any crime that has been committed using a computer as the principle tool.

• fraud
• company espionage
• viruses
• malcious vandelism
• theft of information

Malpractice is behaviour that is legal but goes against a professional code of practice.

• British Computer Society or individual company codes of conduct
• leaving your computer terminal open and unattended
• poorly chosen password
• looking at inproper websites
• using computer system for personal use

Crime and Malpractice is on the way up because we use and rely on computers more and more.

• Amazon.co.uk - relies on the Internet, without it, there is no business.
• Terrorism - espionage
• ATM machines and on-line banking

Weak Points of IT systems:

• data being wrongly entered into a system
• access to data stored online
• access to data stored offline such as on floppy disk
• viruses
• data being transmitted using a network
• internal staff not following procedures

Weak point can be reduced by:

• physical security
• internal procedures and codes of conduct
• encrypting vital information
• user ID's and passwords
• access levels
• firewalls
• antivirus software
• biometric security
• vetting potential employees