<h5 id="61-introduction">6.1 Introduction</h5> <ul> <li>The introduction of digital technologies has significantly changed the world in recent years, making communication faster and more convenient.</li> <li>These technologies are now essential in various sectors, including banking, aviation, industrial production, and e-commerce, for the delivery of goods and services.</li> <li>The widespread use of digital technologies can be attributed to the availability of personal computers (PCs), the Internet, and smartphones.</li> <li>However, digital technologies can also be misused, making it crucial to follow best practices that ensure a safe and productive digital environment.</li> <li>More people are using digital technologies through smartphones and computers, highlighting the need for a secure and efficient online experience.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="62-digital-footprints">6.2 Digital Footprints</h5> <ul> <li>Digital footprints are data trails that reflect online activities, created through web applications like email, online purchases, and game scores.</li> <li>This data can include websites visited, emails sent, computer IP address, location, and device-specific details, and can be used for targeted advertising or misused.</li> <li>There are two types of digital footprints: active, which includes intentional data submission (emails, posts), and passive, which includes unintentional data generation (website visits, browsing).</li> <li>Digital footprints can grow with increased internet usage and are stored in application servers, with no guarantee of complete elimination.</li> <li>Online activities leave data traces on the internet and computing devices, which can be used to trace user, location, device, and usage details.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="63-digital-society-and-netizen">6.3 Digital Society and Netizen</h5> <ul> <li>Digital society is a society where digital technologies are used in various human activities like communication, social networking, banking, shopping, entertainment, education, transportation, etc.</li> <li>A netizen or digital citizen is an individual who uses digital technology and internet.</li> <li>Good netizens are responsible digital citizens who practice safe, ethical, and legal use of digital technology.</li> <li>Netiquettes, communication etiquettes, and social media etiquettes are essential practices for a responsible netizen.</li> <li>Various services that can be availed online include communication, social networking, banking, shopping, entertainment, education, and transportation.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="631-net-etiquettes">6.3.1 Net Etiquettes</h5> <ul> <li>Net etiquettes include being ethical, respectful, and responsible while surfing the Internet.</li> <li>Being ethical involves not violating copyrights and sharing expertise by providing true and unambiguous information.</li> <li>Respecting privacy and diversity is essential while interacting with other digital citizens in a group or public forum.</li> <li>Being responsible includes avoiding cyberbullying and understanding its implications, and knowing how to report abusive or inappropriate posts.</li> <li>It is crucial not to pay attention to Internet trolls to discourage them, as they thrive on attention.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="632-communication-etiquettes">6.3.2 Communication Etiquettes</h5> <ul> <li>Digital communication includes various forms such as email, texting, instant messaging, and audio/video conferencing.</li> <li>It’s important to follow communication etiquettes in digital forums, including being precise, polite, and credible.</li> <li>Being precise means respecting time and data limits, for example by avoiding unnecessary emails or large attachments.</li> <li>It’s important to note that anything posted on the internet becomes part of the user’s digital footprint and cannot be permanently deleted.</li> <li>Being polite involves avoiding aggression and abuse, even when disagreeing with others’ points of view. Credibility is built over time through cautious and reliable online communication.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="633-social-media-etiquettes">6.3.3 Social Media Etiquettes</h5> <ul> <li>Social media etiquettes are essential for safe and responsible use of social media platforms.</li> <li>Users should choose strong and frequently changed passwords, never share personal credentials, and be cautious while befriending unknown people.</li> <li>It is important to think before sharing personal photos and uploading/sending sensitive files, as they can’t be completely deleted.</li> <li>Users should be aware of fake news, messages, and posts, and not blindly believe everything they come across.</li> <li>Always mention the source of ideas or resources used in projects or writeups to maintain integrity and avoid plagiarism.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="64-data-protection">6.4 Data Protection</h5> <ul> <li>Data protection is primarily concerned with the privacy of digital data.</li> <li>Sensitive data, if breached or compromised, can cause harm, embarrassment, inconvenience, or unfairness to an individual.</li> <li>Examples of sensitive data include biometric information, health information, financial information, and personal documents or media.</li> <li>Privacy of sensitive data can be ensured through encryption, authentication, and other secure methods.</li> <li>Countries have their own data protection policies (laws) to guide users on processing, storage, and transmission of sensitive information, with the aim of protecting such information from unauthorized modification or disclosure.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="641-intellectual-property-right-ipr">6.4.1 Intellectual Property Right (IPR)</h5> <ul> <li>Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) refer to the protection of inventions, literary and artistic expressions, designs and symbols, names and logos.</li> <li>Copyrights, patents, and trademarks are forms of IPR. Copyrights are automatically granted to creators for original works, preventing others from copying, using, or selling the work without permission.</li> <li>Patents are granted for inventions, giving the owner exclusive rights to prevent others from using, selling, or distributing the protected invention for 20 years.</li> <li>Trademarks distinguish brand or commercial enterprises from others, preventing others from using confusingly similar marks.</li> <li>End User License Agreement (EULA) outlines the terms and conditions of software purchase, including the number of copies that can be installed, source availability, and modification/redistribution permissions.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="642-licensing">6.4.2 Licensing</h5> <ul> <li>Licensing is the legal term for the agreement that permits use of copyrighted material, often for a price.</li> <li>Copyright is the legal right of the creator to protect original work, distinct from licensing.</li> <li>Plagiarism is using others’ work without proper citation, while copyright infringement is using another’s work without permission or payment.</li> <li>Software licensing outlines the authorized use of digital material, including software and digital art or literature.</li> <li>Violation of license agreement guidelines is a criminal offense, considered an infringement of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="643-violation-of-ipr">6.4.3 Violation of IPR</h5> <ul> <li>Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s idea or work as one’s own. It includes copying contents from the internet without citing the source or the original creator, or deriving an idea or a product from an already existing one without giving credit.</li> <li>Copyright Infringement is using another person’s work without their permission or not paying for it, if it is being sold. Downloading an image from the internet and using it in a project without the owner’s permission, even after giving reference, is a violation of copyright.</li> <li>Trademark Infringement is the unauthorized use of another’s trademark on products and services. The owner of a trademark can take legal action against someone who infringes its registered trademark.</li> <li>CC licenses allow the recipients to copy, modify, and redistribute creative material, while giving the authors the liberty to decide the conditions of licensing.</li> <li>GPL is the most widely used free software license, granting the recipients rights to copy, modify, and redistribute the software, with the same rights preserved in all derivative works.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="644-public-access-and-open-source-software">6.4.4 Public Access and Open Source Software</h5> <ul> <li>Copyright restrictions can limit the usage of copyrighted works by others, but public licenses can allow use and modification.</li> <li>Open source licenses, such as GNU General Public License (GPL) and Creative Commons (CC), provide guidelines for using existing work.</li> <li>CC is used for creative works, allowing distribution and building upon the work, while GPL is primarily for software, allowing modification and distribution.</li> <li>Free and open source software (FOSS) is freely available for anyone, with source code open for modification and improvement.</li> <li>Software piracy is the unauthorized use or distribution of software, and should be avoided as it affects the software industry and economy.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="65-creative-commons">6.5 Creative Commons</h5> <ul> <li>The Creative Commons (CC) licenses allow varying degrees of use and distribution of creative work.</li> <li>The most accommodating license is CC BY, which allows others to distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon the work, even commercially, as long as they credit the original creator.</li> <li>CC BY-SA allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon work for commercial purposes, as long as credit is given and the new creations are licensed under identical terms.</li> <li>CC BY-ND allows others to reuse the work for any purpose, including commercially, but it cannot be shared with others in adapted form, and credit must be provided to the original creator.</li> <li>CC BY-NC permits others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work non-commercially, with credit given to the original creator.</li> <li>The most restrictive CC license, CC BY-NC-ND, only allows others to download and share the work with others, as long as they credit the original creator and do not change or use it commercially.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="66-cyber-crime">6.6 Cyber Crime</h5> <ul> <li>Cyber crime refers to criminal activities or offenses carried out in a digital environment, with the intent to directly or indirectly cause physical harm, financial loss, or mental harassment.</li> <li>The computer can be both the target and tool for committing cyber crimes. Cyber criminals can attack a computer or network to disable or damage data or services, spread viruses and malware to steal private data for blackmailing and extortion.</li> <li>A computer virus is malicious code that can copy itself and have detrimental effects on computers, while malware is software designed to gain unauthorized access to computer systems.</li> <li>The nature of cyber crimes is increasing rapidly, with frequent reports of hacking, ransomware attacks, denial-of-service, phishing, email fraud, banking fraud, and identity theft.</li> <li>To unsubscribe from a mail group or block an email sender, one can use the unsubscribe option at the bottom of the email or block the sender’s email address in the email settings.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="661-hacking">6.6.1 Hacking</h5> <ul> <li>Hacking is unauthorized access to a computer, network, or digital system, often exploiting bugs.</li> <li>Ethical hacking, or white hat hacking, is hacking with positive intent, used for exploring vulnerabilities to improve security.</li> <li>Ethical hackers may exploit a website to discover security loopholes, then report their findings to the owner.</li> <li>Non-ethical hackers, or black hat hackers, hack for illegal purposes like data theft, system damage, or identity theft.</li> <li>It’s crucial to only open email links or attachments from trusted sources to avoid potential viruses or malicious websites.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="662-phishing-and-fraud-emails">6.6.2 Phishing and Fraud Emails</h5> <ul> <li>Phishing is an unlawful activity using fake websites or emails to fraudulently collect sensitive personal details.</li> <li>The most common phishing method is email spoofing, where a fake email address is used, often resembling a trusted source.</li> <li>Identity theft is a type of phishing attack where a user’s personal data is stolen and misused, often for monetary gain or to avoid detection of true identity.</li> <li>Examples of identity theft include financial, criminal, and medical identity theft.</li> <li>To file a complaint regarding cybercrime, one can approach the local cyber cell after gathering necessary information and evidence.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="663-ransomware">6.6.3 Ransomware</h5> <ul> <li>Ransomware is a type of cyber crime where the attacker gains access to the victim’s computer, encrypts the data, and demands payment in exchange for decryption.</li> <li>It can be downloaded through malicious or unsecure websites, software from doubtful repositories, email attachments in spam mails, or malicious advertisements on the Internet.</li> <li>Digital signatures are the digital equivalent of paper certificates, working on a unique digital ID issued by a Certificate Authority (CA) to the user.</li> <li>Digital signatures can authenticate a document by attaching the user’s identity to it.</li> <li>In India, digital signatures can be issued by a licensed Certifying Authority (CA) under Section 24 of the IT-Act 2000.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="664-combatting-and-preventing-cyber-crime">6.6.4 Combatting and Preventing Cyber Crime</h5> <ul> <li>Cyber crime can be combatted using a proactive approach: staying alert and seeking legal help.</li> <li>Safety measures to reduce risk include taking regular data backups and using antivirus software.</li> <li>Users should avoid pirated software, download only from secure sites, and keep system software updated.</li> <li>It’s important to use strong, unique passwords, avoid untrusted websites, and be cautious with cookies and online transactions.</li> <li>Securing wireless networks with strong passwords and regular changes is also crucial.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="67-indian-information-technology-act-it-act">6.7 Indian Information Technology Act (IT Act)</h5> <ul> <li>The Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act) in India provides guidelines for processing, storage, and transmission of sensitive information to protect sensitive personal data and safeguard the rights of Internet users.</li> <li>The IT Act outlines cyber crimes and penalties, and establishes the Cyber Appellate Tribunal to resolve disputes arising from cyber crimes, such as tampering with computer source documents, hacking, and using another person’s password.</li> <li>The IT Act provides a legal framework for electronic governance, giving recognition to electronic records and digital signatures.</li> <li>The IT Act is necessary for people to perform transactions over the Internet through credit cards without fear of misuse, and empowers government departments to accept filing, creation, and storage of official documents in digital format.</li> <li>In many Indian states, there are cyber cells in police stations where one can report any cyber crime. The IT Act is amended in 2008 to keep up with the changing nature of fraudulent activities and crimes.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="68-e-waste-hazards-and-management">6.8 E-waste: Hazards and Management</h5> <ul> <li>E-waste, or electronic waste, consists of discarded electric or electronic gadgets and devices.</li> <li>Leaching is a process of removing a substance from another substance by passing water through it.</li> <li>E-waste is a rapidly growing environmental hazard, with more than 5% of municipal solid waste being e-waste globally.</li> <li>The increase in electronic equipment usage has led to a significant rise in discarded products.</li> <li>Lack of awareness and appropriate skills to manage e-waste is a major concern for countries worldwide.</li> <li>Proper disposal of e-waste is essential to minimize damage to the environment and society.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="681-impact-of-e-waste-on-environment">6.8.1 Impact of e-waste on environment</h5> <ul> <li>E-waste contributes to environmental degradation.</li> <li>Improper disposal of e-waste causes air, water, and soil pollution.</li> <li>Certain elements or metals in e-waste can leach when they come in contact with air and moisture.</li> <li>This leaching causes soil pollution as harmful chemicals seep into the soil.</li> <li>When this contaminates natural groundwater, it causes water pollution, making the water unfit for human, animal, and agricultural use.</li> <li>Dust particles loaded with heavy metals from e-waste can also cause air pollution.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="682-impact-of-e-waste-on-humans">6.8.2 Impact of e-waste on humans</h5> <ul> <li>E-waste contains toxic and carcinogenic materials like lead, beryllium, cadmium, and plastics.</li> <li>Improper disposal of e-waste can lead to lead poisoning, affecting the kidneys, brain, and central nervous system, with children being particularly vulnerable.</li> <li>Burning of e-waste can create harmful chemicals such as beryllium, causing skin diseases, allergies, and an increased risk of lung cancer.</li> <li>Mercury in electronic devices can cause respiratory disorders and brain damage, while cadmium can damage kidneys, liver, and bones.</li> <li>Plastics in e-waste can react with air and moisture, releasing harmful chemicals into soil and water resources, leading to immune system damage and psychological issues.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="683-management-of-e-waste">6.8.3 Management of e-waste</h5> <ul> <li>E-waste management involves reducing, reusing, and recycling to efficiently dispose of electronic waste.</li> <li>Reducing e-waste can be achieved by purchasing electronic devices according to need, using them to their maximum capacity, and discarding them only after their useful life has ended.</li> <li>Reusing involves slightly modifying and re-using electronic equipment that still functions. This can be done by donating or selling the equipment to someone who can still use it.</li> <li>Refurbishing is the process of re-selling old electronic goods at lower prices.</li> <li>Recycling is the conversion of electronic devices into something that can be used again. This should be done for products that cannot be repaired, refurbished, or re-used.</li> <li>Many companies and NGOs provide door-to-door pick-up facilities for collecting e-waste from homes and offices to promote recycling.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="684-e-waste-management-in-india">6.8.4 E-waste Management in India</h5> <ul> <li>The Environmental Protection Act, 1986 in India enforces the “Polluter pays Principle” to punish those responsible for pollution.</li> <li>The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has guidelines for e-waste handling and disposal, making manufacturers responsible for safe disposal.</li> <li>The Department of Information Technology has a technical guide for environmental management in the IT industry, including e-waste recycling and reuse guidelines.</li> <li>Companies have initiated consumer awareness programs for e-waste recycling.</li> <li>Computer system safety guidelines include regular cleaning, avoiding direct heat/sunlight, and keeping food/drinks away from the keyboard.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="69-impact-on-health">6.9 Impact on Health</h5> <ul> <li>Prolonged use of digital devices can lead to health issues, including physical strain and mental fatigue.</li> <li>Ergonomics, which deals with designing user-friendly workplaces, can help reduce strain by suggesting appropriate device positioning and posture.</li> <li>Maintaining the correct viewing distance, angle, and position can alleviate eye strain, while periodically focusing on distant objects and taking breaks for outdoor activities is also beneficial.</li> <li>Correct workspace arrangement can prevent bad posture and resulting pains in the back, neck, and shoulders.</li> <li>Overuse of non-ergonomic keyboards can cause wrist and finger pain, while excessive use of digital devices can contribute to stress, physical fatigue, and obesity.</li> <li>To maintain overall well-being, it’s essential to balance digital device usage with other activities, including real-life interactions and hobbies.</li> </ul> <p>======</p>