MUH PRES

Social Legal and Ethical

A code of ethics, also commonly called a code of conduct, defines acceptable behavior within an organisation. Higher standards are generally promoted when a code of ethics is accepted and followed by members of an organisation. It is useful as individuals working for the organisation have a benchmark upon which they can judge their own behavior and that of others.

Informal and formal codes Most small organisations do not have a formal written code of ethics and instead rely on senior members of staff to lead by example, showing what acceptable behaviour is. Members understand the informal code by observing how senior members conduct themselves, e.g. the type of language used in emails and behaviour towards clients. Formal codes are written documents that outline expected behaviours within an organisation. Formal codes of ethics are usually enforced by the threat of disciplinary action should the code not be adhered to. 

DATA PROTECTION ACT 1998

The Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) was put in place by the Government in response to growing concerns about the amount of personal data being stored on and processed by computer systems. Organisations that store and process personal data are required to register with the Information Commissioner, who is the person responsible for the DPA. Organisations must register information on the type of data they wish to store and why it is being collected.

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DPA PRINCIPLES

These specify that personal data must be:  processed against loss, theft or corruption  accurate and where relevant kept up to date  adequate, relevant, not excessive  prevented from being transferred outside EU to countries without adequate provision  fairly and lawfully processed  processed within the rights of subjects  deleted when no longer needed  used only for the purpose collected

There are a number of exemptions from the DPA. These include:  the prevention or detection of crime  the capture or prosecution of offenders  the assessment or collection of tax or duty  personal data by an individual for the purposes of their personal, family or household affairs  national security and the armed forces  personal data that is processed only for journalistic, literary or artistic purposes  personal data that is processed only for research, statistical or historical purposes  personal data relating to an individual’s physical or mental health  

Computer Misuse Act 1990

Created to combat the growing misuse of computer systems due to their widespread use in all environments.The CMA makes it an offence to:  access data without permission, e.g. looking at someone else's files  access computer systems without permission, e.g. hacking  alter data stored on a computer system without permission, e.g. writing a virus that deliberately deletes data 

A FINAL NOTE

You should be able to:  use computer systems responsibly and effectively o respect the integrity of the systems used, including not divulging passwords or private keys to anyone else o recognise that certain data is confidential and that the intended use of all data must be respected o users should become familiar with and abide by the guidelines for appropriate usage of the systems and networks that they access  www.ebay.co.uk