The effects of ICT

IGCSE COURSE
 ICT Effects

– A loss of jobs
– New jobs being created
– The retraining of staff
– Viruses

– Crimes
The effects of microprocessor-controlled devices

– The effects on leisure time-eg games etc

– The effects on social interaction eg facebook,
twitter, Myspace
– The effects on the need
– Reduced mobility
 ICT Crimes
• Hacking
– Hacking  involves breaking codes and passwords
to gain unauthorized entry to computer systems.
– Once into a computer system a hacker can do an
enormous amount of damage.
 Other ICT Crimes
• Cracking
– Use of guesswork to discover the weak point in security policies of a software
• Trespassing
– Illegal physical entry restricted places where computer hardware, software and backed up
data is kept
• Piracy
– Making illegal copies of material or copyrighted software.
• Sabotage
– Destruction of data and information with the aim of crippling service delivery
• Eavesdropping
– Tapping into communication channels to get information
• Tapping
– Sending an intelligent program to a host computer that sends information from the
restricted computer.
– Also called spying.
 Viruses
• Any program created by programmers with
malicious intention of creating havoc on your
computer.
or
• Computer program that can copy itself and infect a
computer without permission or knowledge of the
user.
 Types of Viruses
• Boot Sector virus-destroy the booting information
on storage devices
• File Virus- attach themselves to files
• Hoax viruses- come as e-mail with an attractive
subject and launches itself when email is opened
• Trojans- they appear to perform necessary
functions but in the background performing
undesired activities
• Worms- Viruses that Stick in the computer memory
 Health Risks
• Repetitive Strain Injury ( RSI ) - This is caused by repetitive finger
movements over long periods of time and can cause serious pain in
the finger joints.
• Solutions - to reduce the risk of RSI you should:
– Have your keyboard positioned correctly
– Develop a good typing technique
– Take regular breaks from using the keyboard
– Use ergonomically-designed keyboards where the keys are split and
contoured for the hands.
• It is important to realize that working with computers, particularly for
long periods of time , can be dangerous to your health. To create a
safe working environment, the following factors should be
considered.
 RSI Issues: Eye Strain -
• Eye strain is quite common among people using
monitors over extended periods of time.
• It can result in irritated eyes and blurred vision.
• Solutions - to reduce eye strain, users should
look away from the monitor and focus on a
distant object from time to time to relax their
eye muscles.
• A screen glare deflector can help some users.
 Back problems
• Sitting at the computer for long periods of time is never
comfortable.
• Leaning back in the chair reduces the pressure on the spine
but then the arms have to reach forward to the keyboard
creating muscle tension which leads to aches and pains in
the neck, shoulders, back and arms.
• Solutions - while working at the keyboard, the correct
seating position is sitting upright with the feet flat and the
lower arms and thighs in a roughly horizontal position.
• Adjustable chairs that give the maximum support for the
back are also best.
 Safety Risks- High Voltage
• Power supply
– Computers are generally connected to 240v mains
electricity and must be treated with care.
– The computer should be properly earthed and the plugs
should have the correct fuses
– Trailing electrical leads should be avoided to reduce the risk
of tripping or them being damaged.
– There should be enough power sockets to avoid power
sockets being overloaded
– Mains plugs and leads must be checked for safety once a
year
 Fire Risks
– In case of a fire, the fire extinguishers should be
powder-based or CO2 ( carbon dioxide ) devices.
– Water-based fire extinguishers should not be used
on electrical appliances.