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5.1.1: understand environmental issues associated with the use of digital devices (energy consumption, manufacture, replacement cycle, disposal)
Keyword
Definition
digital device
computer system such as a smart phone, laptop, smart TV, e-reader or tablet
disposal
what happens to a device when it is no longer used which can affect the environment because part of it can end up in landfill, possibly releasing toxic chemicals
energy consumption
how much power a device requires to run which can affect the environment due to the use of fossil fuels and emission of carbon dioxide or other pollutants
environmental issue
something that could cause damage to the habitat or health of animals or humans
manufacture
how a device is made which an affect the environment due to the materials used and how they are sourced or processed
replacement cycle
how long a digital device is designed to last and whether or not it can be recycled
5.2.1: understand ethical and legal issues associated with the collection and use of personal data (privacy, ownership, consent, misuse, data protection)
Keyword
Definition
Computer Misuse Act
UK law which makes it illegal to access someone else's data or network without authorisation
consent
permission that is granted to allow data to be viewed, stored or processed
Cookies
small text files which can store personal data about the person viewing a web page
data collection
capturing data and storing it so it can be processed and used
Data Protection Act
UK law which protects individuals against misuse of their personal data
data use
analysing and accessing data for personal, research or business purposes
ethical issues
questions related to what is morally right or wrong
legal issues
questions related to what is and isn't against the law
misuse
when data is used without permission or a purpose other than what permission was granted for
ownership
who has the rights to view or use the data
personal data
information stored about people that might be used to identify them
privacy
the need to keep data secure so that only those authorised to access it can see or use it
5.2.2: understand ethical and legal issues associated with the use of artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics accountability, safety, algorithmic bias, legal liability)
Keyword
Definition
accountability
who is responsible for maintaining, replacing or fixing a computer system or algorithm
algorithmic bias
when an algorithm gives unfair results either deliberately or accidentally due to input data that favours one particular outcome
artificial intelligence
when a computer can make decisions or interact with the world in a similar way to a human
autonomous machine
an intelligent computer controlled device which can make decisions for itself such as a driverless car, automated weapon or surgical robot
ethical issues
questions related to what is morally right or wrong
legal issues
questions related to what is or isn't against the law
legal liability
who is responsible to pay a fine or go to prison if an algorithm fails, breaks the law or hurts someone
machine learning
when a computer can be trained by analysing lots of test input data to recognise how to solve a problem for itself
robotics
when a computer can move or control industrial equipment to automate repetitive or dangerous tasks
safety
how secure a computer system is and how likely people are to be harmed by its operation
self-learning
a type of computer, machine or robot that can learn from its own mistakes
5.2.3: understand methods of intellectual property protection for computer systems and software (copyright, patents, trademarks, licencing)
Keyword
Definition
closed source
type of software licence where the program code is kept a secret so only the original author or company can make changes
copyright
legal protection for creative products such as images, text, video, sound or software so that they can't be copied without permission
intellectual property
legal term meaning who has the right to be known as the owner of an idea, invention, algorithm or device
licencing
legal protection for software which determines how it can be it can and can't be used and / or shared
open source
type of software licence where the program code is freely available for others to access and edit
patents
legal protection for ideas and inventions so that companies can't copy competitors products without permission
trademarks
legal protection for names of companies or products so that they can't be imitated by anyone else without permission
5.3.1: understand the threat to digital systems posed by malware (viruses, worms, Trojans, ransomware, key loggers) and how hackers exploit technical vulnerabilities (unpatched software, out-of-date anti-malware) and use social engineering to carry out cyberattacks
Keyword
Definition
anti-malware
software which scans for malicious software so that it can be removed
exploit
verb which means to take advantage of
keylogger
software which keeps a record of every time a key is pressed or mouse is clicked in order to harvest personal information
malicious hacker
someone who breaks into a computer system without permission or creates or shares malware
malware
malicious software such as a virus, worm or trojan horse
ransomware
malicious software that encrypts a computer and demands payment before the user can access their own files
social engineering
tricking people into providing access to a computer system or network
technical vulnerability
a security gap in code due to poor security design
trojan
malicious software hidden inside another program that the user is tricked into downloading and running
unpatched software
programs where vulnerabilities have been identified but not yet updated
virus
malicious software that infect a computer system then spread out to infect other computer systems
worm
malicious software that can create copies of itself and spread by itself without needing an infected host computer
5.3.2: understand methods of protecting digital systems and data (anti-malware, encryption, acceptable use policies, backup and recovery procedures)
Keyword
Definition
acceptable use policy
rules that users of a computer system must agree to before they are allowed access
anti-malware
software which scans for malicious software on a computer system so that it can be prevented or removed
backup and recovery procedure
rules for how frequently copies of data are kept and how they can be restored when needed
encryption
making data impossible to understand without the correct password
