UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS: 2010/2011
SECOND YEAR EXAMINATION FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF
SCIENCE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
BIT 2101: ETHICAL, LEGAL AND PROFFESIONAL ISSUES IN IT
DATE: AUGUST 2011 TIME: 2 HOURS
INSTRUCTIONS: Answer question ONE and any other TWO questions
Question One (Compulsory)
a) Using a relevant example differentiate between teleological and deontological (4 Marks)
b) Describe is the proper relationship between professional moral codes and law? (4 Marks)
c) Using a relevant example describe, the Universal Ethical Principle (4 Marks)
d) Using relevant illustrations differentiate between the following (8 Marks)
i)trade mark and trade secret
ii)copyright and intellectual property rights
e) Explain the importance of language in a society (2 Marks)
f) Discuss the eight principles of the data protection act (8 Marks)
Question Two
a) Through the use of currently available on-line tools and techniques, such as search engines,
ordinary users can easily acquire personal information about others. Is it true that individual
privacy is threatened by the use of search engines? Explain. (6 Marks)
b) A software service company, Service Consultants, copied a software vendor’s program as part of its
business of providing software maintenance service to customers of the vendor. Service
Consultants did not make the copy to resell the software; it needed it to provide service. The
vendor sued, and the service company argued that the copying was fair use. Which side do you
think should win? Explain your answer based on the fair use doctrine (8 Marks)
c) A programmer is working on a medical records system for a large hospital. After the system is
installed, he will be maintaining and upgrading it. He decides to write in a trap-door (that is not in
the program specifications) to make it easier to get into the system from home when necessary to
make changes. He will not tell anyone else about this. He has no intention of doing any harm to
the system. Resolve this issues using the steps to ethical analysis (6 Marks)
Question Three
A business maintains a database containing the names of shoplifters. It distributes the list to stores that
subscribe.
a) Should such a service be illegal in order to protect privacy? Give reasons for your answer (8 Marks)
b) Would your answer to part (a) differ if the question were about a database of tenant histories
available to landlords? Why or why not (6 Marks)
c) Explain at least six of the ten commandments of computer ethics (6 Marks)
Question Four
a) Evaluate the impact of contemporary information systems and the Internet on the protection of
individual privacy and intellectual property. (10 Marks)
b) Discuss how information systems have affected everyday life. (10 Marks)
Question Five
a) While routinely monitoring the contents of electronic correspondence \ the Postmaster found the
following email:
Nancy :Do you want to go to the movies tonight? There is a good movie.Email me
back to let me know.” Nick
The postmaster printed out a copy of the email and gave it to the CEO.
Next day Nick was called into the office of the Human Resources Manager and reprimanded for
private use of the email system. Nick was upset by the reprimand since there was no company policy
regarding the personal use of the email system.
i.Identify each questionable act in this situation. Explain your answer, relating the actions to the
ethical theories. (8 Marks)
ii.What course of action would you have taken if you were the CEO (8 Marks)
b) Differentiate between a gift and bribe (use a relevant example) (4 Marks)
