Essay Assignment
Instructions: There are three topic areas listed below that are designed to measure your knowledge level specific to your understanding and ability to analyze the professional, ethical, legal, security and social issues in the global field of computing. You must respond to all three questions by providing appropriate responses in essay form. In most cases the topic area has several components. Each must be addressed to properly satisfy requirements.
Pay attention to what you are being asked to do. For example, to describe does not mean to list, but to tell about or illustrate in more than two or three sentences, providing appropriate arguments for your responses using theories discussed in our text. Be sure to address all parts of the topic question as most have multiple parts. A verifiable current event (less than 4 years old) relevant to each of the topics is a fundamental component of your quiz as well. You must have at least one reference for each topic and you cannot use the same reference to satisfy this requirement. You cannot use information from the text book or any book/article by the author of the text book as a current event. Make sure that your reference has a date of publication. References with no date (n.d.) are not acceptable. Each question requires a reference citation in the text of your answer and a reference at the end of the question to which the reference applies. You must include some information obtained from the reference in your answer. The references must be found on the internet and you must include a URL in your reference so that the reference can be verified. It should be minimum 3 pages altogether.
You should type your responses directly under the appropriate question.
1. (a) Describe and give examples of the 2 most significant computer security threats that are impacting the world at the present time. (b) What steps are being taken to minimize or thwart these threats? (c) Will the efforts proposed to protect individuals, companies and the governments from these threats still protect the rights of citizens? (d) Do you think that the steps taken or to be taken are ethical and will not cause a backlash in society? Elaborate (beyond a yes or no answer)
2. (a) Describe at least 3 of the most significant ethical/social issues for individuals and at least 3 of the most significant ethical/social issues for businesses/organizations in the field of computer science. (b) Which, if any, of these issues overlap both individuals and businesses/organizations? (c) For each issue that you identified that is causing a major ethical/social problem for society, suggest a solution for this problem. Be as concise as possible in your answer and do not address the issue of security threats in this question. Elaborate (beyond a yes or no answer)
3. The field of computer science has changed during your lifetime and will continue to change in the future. When the Computer Science department at this University was created in 1974 students were using keypunch cards to run programs on the main frame. There was no PC, no cell phone, no phone aps, no internet, no Facebook, no Twitter, no Google, no Microsoft, etc. The field of computer science has changed dramatically from then till now. Over your entire life the changes could be as dramatic as it has been since the CS Department was created. (a) How important is it to you to keep up to date with the coming changes in hardware, software and ethical issues now and when you are employed? (b) What specific steps will you in engage in to make sure that you are up to date as a computer professional? Elaborate (beyond a yes or no answer)
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.