Ethics of Information Communication Technology - Dissertation Example

Ethics of Information Communication Technology The topic of our research is New Technologies and the emergence of cyber crime and digital fraud- cost on the United Kingdom economy. The objective of the study is to analyze the need of ICT and its resulted effects. As we know, that ICT has helped the world to turn into a global village. The concept of globalization has benefited the world in a number of ways. Digital convergence and globalization in the rising knowledge society has increased the complex legal, ethical, and societal issues. Now the society is facing difficult and complex questions related to the access of information, right to privacy, cultural diversity and intellectual property rights. For the gathering of information and knowledge, the instrument that is required by all human beings is ICT, and security in this regard should be guaranteed to them as their basic right. However, throughout the world the rights of humans are violated one way or the other. Violation of these rights have created new problems in the human social system like cyber crime, digital divide, digital security and privacy concerns for all of them. Round the globe, all of this has affected the lives of the people directly or indirectly (Sembok, 2003). This shows that due to the rising facilities of the global world, the related crimes are also increasing in the numbers. This increasing rate of the cyber crime has put the privacy and security of the individuals at stake. With such backdrop, this paper will discuss the types of cyber crimes and the upcoming frauds that are done by them. The objective of this paper is to highlight the effects of this crime and under the light of this crime, see the effects it has created on the economy of the United Kingdom. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the effects of cyber crimes on the citizens, businesses, government, and the relevant interventions to deal with it. The range of cyber crimes is much diversified; so the paper will shed light on crimes such as child pornography, identity frauds to the individuals, tax and benefits fraud, NHS frauds, pension frauds, and local government and central government frauds faced by the government. The most affected sector is the business sector; so a major portion of the paper aims to cover this segment and discuss frauds like IP theft, industrial espionage, and online theft. Literature Review The literature review section, initially discusses the general use of internet and the need of using this technology; it also talks about the crimes that result from this under the light of different literatures. Then limiting to the topic, the paper aims at discussing the key word: ‘Cyber Crime’. According to Nelson (2009) cyber crime is referred to as ‘the undertaken activities by the criminals for the financial gain’. He says that ‘such kinds of activities are used to take advantage of the vulnerabilities that are in use of the internet and other electronic systems. These systems illegitimately attack or access the information that is used by the businesses, citizens and government.’ In this light, the paper will discuss the types of cyber crime and also talk about the ways these cyber crimes are talking place. A number of studies and researches have been done in order to investigate the topic under discussion. However, this area needs to be researched more so that more valid and authentic conclusions can be drawn from the studies and the results could be applied on the society. The topic is chosen for my research, keeping in view its significance in the field and also, because of its importance in society. As it has been observed in the societies that as people are getting more aware of the alarming nature of this issue and are interested in finding ways to help overcome this problem, more research work is needed in this area. The research, which I am going to do, would be beneficial in this regard hopefully, as it will not only contribute to my field, but will also play a vital role in spreading awareness among the masses. Significance of the study The significance of the study will be to: 1. Improve the understanding of our public of the hazards of cyber-crime and the effects that it entails on citizens, businesses, and the government 2. Provide a comprehensive account by gathering genuine statistics from Private sector reports on the costs that is incurred in order to protect from cyber-crime, as well as the hidden cost that most organizations are oblivious about 3. Fulfill the degree requirement Researched Questions Many of the previous studies on cyber crime have been focused on how cyber crime has affected the three groups of the United Kingdom, and the interventions they are using to avoid it. The following research problems were formulated: 1. What are the recent investments Britain is doing to prevent cyber crimes? 2. What are the reasons of increasing cyber crime in the United Kingdom? 3. What are the effects of increasing cyber crimes in the United Kingdom? 4. What is the cost of cyber crime on the United Kingdom economy? 5. How these problems can be solved by the interventions by the Government and the Private sector? Research Aims The aim of the research is to spread awareness of the topic and safety of the companies, government, and the people of the United Kingdom from this threat, so that the economy of the state can improve by creating a digital infrastructure with strong reputation of security. The purpose of the study is to investigate the reasons that are required to measure the cost of cyber crimes. It aims to talk about the statistics of the world and then particularly in reference to the United Kingdom. It will highlight the high rate usage of internet in the businesses and household environments. The paper means to shed light upon the investments done by Britain in year 2009 to make the United Kingdom highly equipped with the computerized technology as well as the amount spent by them to make it a secure place for the businesses. The aim of the paper is to analyze how to prevent this increasing risk of internet crime. For this reason, the interventions taking place in the United Kingdom to control the common cyber crimes will be analyzed; three sectors i.e. citizens, government and businesses, at the national and international level will be studied in detail. Methodology The research will be designed to achieve the objectives. For this purpose, qualitative approach has been adopted. Due to several limitations, only secondary data will be collected to augment the studies; this data will mainly consist of published material, like books, magazines, and reports will be used to analyse the case. To find the recent figures of the topic, recent reports that are issued by the government for the United Kingdom will be used. To collect the data for the safety issues few of the private sector reports will also be included in the study. Limitations Limitations include the lack of time and resources to conduct research through primary data. With this being the most powerful tool in a research, this study does not cater to first-hand data and results. References Sembok, T. M. (2003). Ethics of Information Communication Technology (ICT), Accessed on 4th May 2011 from http://www2.unescobkk.org/elib/publications/ethic_in_asia_pacific/239_325ETHICS.PDF Nelson, B. (2009). Cyber-crime Defined, Accessed on 4th May 2011 from http://www.brighthub.com/internet/security-privacy/articles/3435.aspx Read More