UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS: 2017/2018
EXAMINATION FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
BIT 2109/ BAC 2104: PROFESSIONAL ISSUES IN IT
BUSS 207: BUSINESS ETHICS IN IT
BCT 3104: COMPUTER LAW AND ETHICS
FULL TIME/PART TIME/DISTANCE LEARNING
DATE: DECEMBER, 2017 TIME: 2 HOURS
INSTRUCTIONS: Answer Question One & ANY OTHER TWO questions.
QUESTION ONE (Compulsory)
a) The IT industry is increasingly aware of its own environmental impact. Describe at least
three environmental problems to which the industry contributes and how, as an IT
professional, you can help to solve this problem. (6 Marks)
b) Offer the best argument either for the institution of proprietary software, or for the
institution of free software. (6Marks)
c) Describe the essential elements relating to conduct that identify a professional activity
(4 Marks).
d) Briefly discuss whether technology determines society or if society determines technology
(4 Marks)
e) How can information and information systems be used to gain power and, thereby create
additional ethical issues? (4 Marks)
f) Discuss the moral obligations incurred through becoming a member of a professional
body such as the Computer Society of Kenya, and how would you justify these moral
obligations?
(6 Marks)
QUESTION TWO
a) To what extent are ethical theories helpful when considering ethical business practice?
(4Marks)
b) Discuss how Personality Traits and Attitudes, Moral Development, and the
Situation affect Ethical Behavior at the work place (6 Marks)
c) Explain the conditions under which whistleblowing might be justified.
(4 Marks)
d) Describe the challenges experienced in establishing global computing laws.
(6Marks)
QUESTION THREE
a) Sarbanes and Oxley Act has a greater focus on improved corporate governance and
stronger ethics. Discuss how successful it has been in these areas. (10 Marks)
b) We are entering a generation marked by globalization and ubiquitous computing. The
second generation of computer ethics, therefore, must be an era of ‘global information
ethics’. The stakes are much higher, and consequently considerations and applications of
Information Ethics must be broader, more profound and above all effective in helping to
realize a democratic and empowering technology rather than an enslaving or debilitating
one.’ Discuss with reference to e global impact of computing. (10 Marks)
QUESTION FOUR
a) Should the Kenyan government place any restrictions on Internet information available
to its citizens especially in the advent of the use of social media to spread hate speech
(10 Marks)
b) If your line manager asked you to download software from an unauthorised source, as a
personal favour? Briefly discuss ethical issues raised by this scenario. (4 Marks)
c) The “magical” experience of browsing the World Wide Web often lulls users into a false
sense of security. The Web seems like a “virtual” space, where neither personal
identities nor consequences for behavior exist. Discuss with reference to ethical and
morality issues raised by anonymity (6 Marks)
QUESTION FIVE
a) As an IT professional working within the industry you will be expected to follow a code of
ethical conduct through your working life. Each individual needs to have their own code which
should cover conduct: Socially, Legally and professionally for any TWO of these categories
give an example of an IT moral or ethical dilemma and an appropriate response to it.
(6 Marks)
b) Is it an ethical obligation of hosts of social networking sites to prevent posting of malicious
and false stories about people on members’ sites? ( 8 Marks)
c) Discuss the ethical and moral issues raised by creating and distributing malware, such as
computer viruses, worms, Trojan horse software and (6 Marks)
