Ethics, law and staying safe

Power with responsibility

• You now know how attacks work. With that knowledge comes a duty to act ethically.
• A computing professional uses these skills to protect people, never to harm them.
• Acting unethically — accessing data you should not, or breaking systems — damages people and your own career.

The law

• Computer-misuse laws make unauthorised access a crime — even "just looking" can be illegal.
• Data-protection laws (like GDPR) force organisations to keep your personal data safe and use it fairly.
• Copyright protects creative work; you may not copy software or media without permission.

Licences

• Software comes with a licence saying what you may do with it.
• Proprietary licences restrict copying and sharing; open-source licences allow you to use and modify the code.
• Always check the licence before reusing someone's code or images — respecting it is both legal and ethical.

Staying safe — your checklist

• Use a password manager and a different strong password everywhere.
• Turn on two-step verification. Keep software updated. Look for HTTPS before logging in.
• Think before you click. You have the knowledge now — use it to keep yourself and others safe. Well done!

Covers: A-Level 7.1 (ethics, copyright, licensing), AP CSP; everyday safe computing.

Now you try

• First decide what each licence allows — proprietary or open-source.
• Then decide which law each incident breaks. That is the exam skill for this topic.

Common mistakes

• Only test systems you have permission to test.
• Keep software updated and think before you click.