Computer Science notes for Xth class

10 Impact of Computer on Society

10.1 Social and Economic Effects of Computers Changes in Environment
Retraining
10.1.1 explain the uses of computer and its effects on society
Uses of Computer
Computers are, perhaps, the best invention by man so far. To understand their impact on society,
we will first have to understand the meaning of 'computer'.

A computer does not necessarily mean a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and a CPU. It is any
machine or device that can compute and execute instructions given to it in the form of programs.
So technically, even a cell phone is a computer. And so are desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and
PDAs. Anything that can perform a series of operations on its own is a computer. This gives us
an idea as to how wide and deep their roles are in our lives. We need a computer for virtually
everything.

There are listed some uses of computer in today’s society:

Application in Science
One of the most important advantages of computers is in the field of science for research and
development. The computers have played a major role in most of what we know about ourselves
and the universe. The satellites, the telescopes and almost all the research tools make use of
computers in some or the other way. The huge calculations required for space science, safe
communication between scientists, storage of all the gathered information are some of the
computer uses in science and technology.

Application in Medical Field

Research and Development mark significant presence of computers in medical field. The high-
end machines used for diagnosis and cure of many diseases are nothing but computers. For
example, the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), CT scan, ultrasound devices, etc are amongst
the most ubiquitous uses of computers in hospitals. Even many surgical procedures, known as
laparoscopic surgeries, need the help of computers. Web conferencing helps doctors treat people

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remotely. There are fully computer based software systems which help to store and manage the
data about patients and medicine repository etc. very easily.

Application in Education
Computer uses in the field of education are infinite. The Internet is a huge source of information.
There are online universities that deliver online degrees and distance learning is spreading far
and wide. Many schools and colleges have started making use of audio-visual ways of imparting
knowledge. A collection of tools that need a computer, help students in many ways. For instance,
a MS word, Excel, PowerPoint etc.

Application in Banking
The banking sector has improved on fronts such as security, ease of use, etc. with the help of
computers. Most of the banking operations can be done online, known as Internet banking, and
you don't have to walk up to the bank for virtually anything.

You can withdraw money from ATMs and deposit money in any branch, thanks to the
networking affected by the use of computers. The complete banking experience has also become
safer.

Application in Crime Investigation

High-end computer devices have ensured that justice is more effective. CCTV cameras and other
computer operated security systems have reduced the amount of crime. And if it still happens
there are many ways to track down the criminal in no time.

Entertainment
The field of entertainment has been revolutionized by computers. Animation, graphic image
manipulation etc has made the entertainment experience hundred times better. Computer gaming
is achieving new landmarks in terms of technology. Movie making, editing, music composition
etc everything needs computers.

Impacts of Computer on society

Positive impacts

Positive impacts on Learning

People have access to a wealth of knowledge on computers, without having to drive to
the library for research. The Internet contains online dictionaries, encyclopedias and a

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wide variety of games and software for learning math, reading science and history. Many
online videos teach skills, such as learning a language.

Positive impacts on Social Behavior

Computers offer many opportunities to meet new people. There are many social
networking sites that let people connect with others. People can communicate in a variety
of ways and reconnect with old friends and classmates. The Internet can help people find
others with common interests, form bonds with strangers and expand their social
network.

Positive impact of on Professional Life

• Training online
• Job Work faster
• Easier access to information
• Meetings at a company are reduced
• Manage payroll, accounts receivable, taxes
• Control inventory

Negative impacts
 A high percentage of people sit at their computer far too long and some people lose
reality as far as social activities and learning social skills.
 Not to mention packing on the weight and the lack of exercise that will haunt them
further on down the road.
 Sitting behind a computer all day is hard on the eyes.
 More crime is committed through the Internet.
 More misinformation by SOME people on the Internet can cause problems for the
younger generation.
 Spammers are annoying & Hackers can ruin your computer system.

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10.2 Internet

10.2.2 describe the hardware and software which make it possible to access
the internet;
For connecting computer to the Internet four basic things are required. These are:

 Modem
 Telephone Line
 Web Browsing Software
 Internet Service Provider (ISP).

Computer is a digital machine; any information which a computer handles must be expressed in
digits or numbers. Telephone lines are designed to carry analog signals but if computer wants to
send data to another computer through the telephone wire then it will not be possible because
computer will send data in the form of digital signals. For solving this problem modem is used.
Modem converts the analog signals into digital signals and digital signal into analog signal.

Telephone cables are an essential component. We connect one computer's modem to the other
computer's modem through a telephone cable.

Web browsing software is a program which let us view and explores information on internet.
Examples of web browsing softwares are Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Google Chrome etc.

To access internet from our compute, we need a account with an internet service provider (ISP).

10.3 Virus and Anti-virus

10.3.1 describe a computer virus and its various types and explain its effects
on the data;
Computer Virus
Computer Viruses are malicious software programs that damage computer program entering into
the computer without the permission of the users, and also run against the wishes of the users.

They are replicated by themselves. Viruses are so dangerous and malicious that they can be
automatically copied and pasted from memory to memory over and over; the transmitting power
is too much quick from network to network that can simply hang smoothly running computer,
sometimes damage the important programs of the computer. Viruses are very dangerous program
can go on their activities automatically and can do a great loss of the users.

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Types of computer virus

It is quite impossible to give the proper information about the types of viruses. The types of
viruses are changing day by day. Therefore on the basis of their origin, hiding, damaging types,
operating system etc their types as follows:

Boot Sector Virus: Boot sector virus infects the boot sector on floppy disks, hard disks and other
bootable media like DVD or CD.

A Boot Sector Virus infects the first sector of the hard drive, where the Master Boot Record
(MBR) is stored. The Master Boot Record (MBR) stores the disk's primary partition table and to
store bootstrapping instructions which are executed after the computer's BIOS passes execution
to machine code. If a computer is infected with Boot Sector Virus, when the computer is turned
on, the virus launches immediately and is loaded into memory, enabling it to control the
computer.

Macro Virus: Macro viruses are written by using the Macro programming languages like VBA,
which is a feature of MS office package. A macro is a way to automate and simplify a task that
you perform repeatedly in MS office suit (MS Excel, MS word etc). These macros are usually
stored as part of the document or spreadsheet and can travel to other systems when these files are
transferred to another computers.

File Deleting Viruses: A File Deleting Virus is designed to delete critical files which are the part
of Operating System or data files.

File Infector Virus: This sort of virus infects programs or executable records (records with .EXE
or .COM extension). At the same time as one of these programs run, straight or circuitously, the
virus is turned on; creating the harmful belongings it is automatic to bear out.

Trojan horses: A Trojan Horse virus gets its name from Homers story of the Trojan war, when
the Greek armies besieged the city of Troy by building a giant horse and hiding soldiers inside it.
The unsuspecting armies of Troy, thinking the Greeks had retreated leaving a giant horse as an
offering to the gods, wheeled the gift inside the city walls. Once the city of Troy was asleep the
Greek soldiers climbed out from inside the horse and opened the gates of the city allowing the
Greek army to invade and attack.

A Trojan Virus behaves in the same way. It moves silently in on a piece of software or file and
once inside takes over the computer.

Worms: A worm virus works by finding parts of your computers operating system that are weak
and then gains access to them to infect your computer. Worms are generally designed to replicate
and infect other computers on a network.

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They come in the form of an email or piece of downloaded software and through these means
will slowly creep through the network of computers. Worms, though relatively harmless should
not be dismissed.

Some worm viruses have been created with the intent of turning all the computers they have
infected into zombies, allowing the author of the virus to take over and perform whatever task
they wish. They could delete or encrypt files, making them useless, or send personal information
and commit internet crimes remotely though your computer.

Other types of virus include Fat Viruses, Polymorphic viruses; Multipartite Viruses, Direct
Action Viruses, Resident Virus, Network viruses, Logic bomb etc.

10.3.2 describe how to combat the viruses with the help of firewalls, and other
anti-virus programs;
Firewall

A firewall is a software program or piece of hardware that helps screen out hackers, viruses, and
worms that try to reach your computer over the Internet.

Firewalls can be either hardware or software-based. A router

is a good and best example of a hardware device that has a
built-in firewall. Most routers can be configured to limit
traffic from certain IP addresses or block requests based on
other criteria. Software programs that monitor and restrict
external access to a computer or network can also serve as
firewalls. A network firewall only allows authorized traffic
from the Internet to flow in and out of the network.

Antivirus

Antivirus programs are designed to provide the ultimate protection to any computer system
against potential hazards in the form of viruses, Trojans and worms both online and offline.

They identify threats to the computer and even secure the computer against identity theft.

Every antivirus program works in different ways. Some may check every file for malicious codes
and replication loops while others may check the files for their license and publisher’s name.

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An observation network is established by all antivirus applications that allow each and every file
to be scanned. They are separated into low-risk and high-risk files. Every antivirus software
application has a database of virus definitions that the developer has to constantly update with
new virus releases every day.

10.4 Hacking (Intrusion)

10.4.1 explain the meaning of unwanted access and suggest effective

measures to avoid it;
"Access" means to approach, instruct, communicate with, store data in, retrieve data from or
otherwise make use of any resource of a computer system or computer network etc.
Unwanted access means to access system without the permission of actual user.

Below is information about helping to secure your computer and prevent any unauthorized
access from other people or software programs; helping keep your information safe.

Check for Operating system and software updates

Software updates are made available, often for free, to consumers to help keep a software
program and operating systems running properly and secure. If the program you're using does
not have any method of checking for updates on its own it is up to you to verify the program is
up-to-date. Often this can be done by visiting the web site of the developer who created the
program.

Passwords

Make sure a password has been set on computer. Default passwords such as password, root,
admin or no password will allow easy access to your computer or your Internet account.

1. Change passwords often. It is recommended at least once every few months.

2. Create a BIOS password.
3. When creating a password, add numbers or other characters to the password to make it
more difficult to guess; for example, 1mypassword23!.

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4. Do not use sticky notes around your computer to write down passwords. Instead use a
password manager.

Get a hardware or software firewall

We highly recommend all computer users have a firewall solution. There are two ways a firewall
can protect your computer and network.

1. Hardware firewall - A hardware firewall is a hardware device that is connected to your

network. Often many home users who have a home network use their network router as a
firewall solution.
2. Software firewall - A software firewall is a software program that you install on your
computer that helps protect that computer from unauthorized incoming and outgoing
data. Below is a listing of a few of the more widely used software firewall programs.

Know how to handle e-mails

Today, e-mail is one of the most popular features on the Internet. Being able to identify threats
sent through e-mail can help keep your computer and your personal information safe. Below are
some of the most common threats you may encounter while using e-mail.

 Attachments - Never open or run e-mail attachments. Viruses, spyware, and other
malware are commonly distributed through e-mails that have attachments. For example,
an e-mail may want you to open an attachment of claiming to be a funny video, when it's
really a virus.
 Phishing - Phishing or an e-mail phish is an e-mail that appears to be from an official
company (such as your bank) indicating you need to log onto the site to check your
account settings. However, the e-mails are really sites setup to steal confidential
information such as your passwords, credit card information, social security information,
etc.

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10.5 Plagiarism

10.5.1 discuss the importance of copyrights and licensing in computer

software.
Plasgiarism
Plagiarism is an act of cheating.
OR
An act or instance of using or closely imitating the language and thoughts of another without
authorization and the representation of that author’s work as one’s own, as by not crediting the
original author.
OR
 To steal and pass off (the idea or words of another) as one’s own
 To use (author’s production) without crediting the source
 Plagiarism is when you use someone else’s words or ideas and pass them off as your
own.
 Plagiarism is the expropriation of another writer’s text, findings, or interpretations and
presenting it as one’s own.

Copyright
A copyright is the exclusive legal right that prohibits copying of intellectual property without
the permission of the copyright holder. Copyright law protects books, articles, pamphlets, music,
art, drawings, movies, and, yes, computer software. Copyright protects the expression of an ideas
but not the idea itself.

Software Piracy
Software piracy is the unauthorized copying of copyrighted software. One way is to copy a
program from one floppy disk to another. Another is to download a program from network and
make a copy of it.

Importance of Copyrights and Licensing in Computer Software

 Copyright can to apply for any work, it must be an original idea or literature that is put to
use. The idea alone cannot be protected by copyright. It is the physical use of that idea, such
as a design or a written novel, which is covered under copyright law.

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 Copyright is given to the author according to the law, as soon as he completes his work.

 In order to protect your own work and idea you need to register the work in the
copyright office.

 The act of unauthorized uploading of a copyright works for others to download may attract
civil or even criminal sanctions. Unauthorized downloading of copyright works leads to civil
liability.

Software licensing protects the copyright by placing restrictions on the end user in relation to the
product duplication for purposes other than backup, installation on more than one computer,
editing the code, or changing the program in any way is usually forbidden. Software licenses
might also restrict reverse engineering and bypassing controls intended to cut down on pirating.

Aside from restrictive uses of the software, software licensing functions as a kind of disclaimer.
Most EULAs (End User License Agreement) include statements to the effect that the publisher
will not be held liable for any unexpected circumstances that might arise as a result of using the
software. This could refer to anything from a computer crash to loss of data, time or income.

Software licensing differs among types of software. Freeware licensing is less restrictive than
retail or shareware, in that it allows unlimited copying and distribution while still forbidding any
changes to the program. Public domain software is the one type of software licensing that has no
restrictions, as the software belongs to the public.

10.6 Robotics
10.6.1 describe the use of automata e.g. robots used in the automobile
industry;
Robots have been keeping things moving in the automotive industry for 30 years: the cost-
intensive models of the past have meanwhile made way for versatile and reliable high-tech
robots. With the development of each new model, robots have gradually become more profitable.
Today, they pay for themselves faster than ever before.

Typically prime targets for robot automation in automobile manufacturing are welding, assembly
of body, motor and gear-box, and painting and coating.

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Advantages of Using ROBOTS

Cost Effectiveness
A robot can work twenty-four hours a day without a break, and continuously perform the same
routine tasks over and over again virtually non-stop.

Job Efficiency
Without any computer errors, robots will almost always get the job done quicker and more
efficiently than a human possibly could.

Safety
Robots are able to withstand exposure to extreme heat, chemicals in the air, and general physical
contact with parts and structures.

Accuracy
Robots are able to be programmed to perform precise intricate ties at much faster speeds than
any human could be expected to.

Physical Capacity

Robots are not limited like humans when it comes to performing many assembly jobs like
painting, finishing, welding, riveting, and installation. Robots also don't have restrictions with
moving heavy objects or issues of fatigue.

10.6.2 describe the uses of artificial intelligent in defense industry and

weather forecast.
Uses in defense industry

Some current uses of artificial intelligence by the military include systems in non-combat roles.
Training simulators are being developed that incorporate A.I. The U.S. Air Force is working with
private industry to develop systems for faster collection and examination of information. The
goal is to improve reaction and decision-making time to implement more effective military
actions. Like many of the military's uses of A.I., it involves information management and
decision making.

There are some ethical concerns about the use of A.I. based systems in war. Some have raised
concerns about the role of A.I. in war. Using these systems for support and managerial roles is

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one thing but having non-human combatants (fighters) is another. Professor Noel Sharkey, of the
University of Sheffield, discusses the potential problems of mechanical warriors. He said robots
could not fulfill two basic tenants of war. One is the ability to distinguish between friend and foe,
which is sometimes difficult for humans to do them during modern war. The other tenant is that
of proportionality. This is the decision about the amount of force considered reasonable in a
given situation. Another concern is that humans could be moved from the position of decision
making to that of monitoring decisions made by computers.

Uses in weather forecast

The artificial intelligence based systems used for weather forecast combines satellite data and
computer weather models with cutting-edge artificial intelligence techniques to identify and
predict rapidly evolving storms and other potential areas of turbulence. The system is developed
to alert pilots and air traffic controllers about storms.

Meteorologists analyze large volumes of data in order to predict the weather, and even the most
experienced weatherman isn't always accurate. Soon, scientists may be able to predict the
weather better by using artificial intelligence software, which can sift through complex data and
spot patterns missed by the human eye. When this software sees a big storm coming, it will
automatically issue alerts to warn residents and the media, and this may help save lives.

By increasing the accuracy of weather predictions, artificial intelligence software may also offer
important benefits in crop development, forestry and agriculture. NASA is even working on
programs that will guide aircraft around potential storms and danger spots, even in remote areas,
which could increase the safety of air travel in the near future.

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