digital technology laws

Data Protection Act

The law that protects personal data, ensuring it is stored safely, used lawfully, and you have the right to see and correct it

Computer Misuse Act

Makes unauthorised access (usually called hacking), and creating or spreading viruses illegal

Copyright Designs and Patents Act

A law to protect content creators, to ensure their intellectual property is not stolen or used without permission, covers software, music and films

License

You must have this, to use software created by someone else. It makes sure the creators get paid for the work they did

Open Source

Software which is made freely available, including the source code. usually developed and supported by a community.

Proprietary

Software which remains the property of the creators, you pay for a license and cannot copy it

Source code

The high level code for the application program, this is made public for open source software but remains a secret in proprietary software

Off the shelf

Software created to be sold in bulk to many users such as Office or Adobe products. The manufacturer won't customise it for you

Bespoke

Software that is specially designed and written for a single organisation or group of users

Support

Help with your software, usually included with proprietary license, you call a helpdesk and get professional help. In open source it is provided only by the developer community and can be hit and miss

Hacking

Illegal under the Computer Misuse Act. It is deliberately accessing a computer without permission

Viruses

It's illegal to write or spread these under the Computer Misuse Act, they spread and damage computers

Privacy

This is protected by the Data Protection Act because that law stops people sharing your data without permission

Personal

This type of data is covered by the Data Protection Act

Data Subject

The individual about whom information is being processed, e.g. a customer, patient or employee, in the Data Protection Act

Accurate

Data must remain \_____________ according to the Data Protection Act; it means correct

Piracy

Copying software without making payment to the owner for a licence, in breach of the Copyright Designs and Patents Act

Purpose

The reason for collecting personal data, you must state this and not use data for another reason, according to the DPA