Cyberlaw_Context_Flashcards
(16 cards)
Term
Definition and Context
CFAA (Computer Fraud and Abuse Act)
A U.S. law that criminalizes unauthorized access to computer systems. | A hacker using stolen credentials to access a company’s internal database would be charged under the CFAA.
DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act)
A law protecting copyrighted digital content and banning circumvention of digital rights management (DRM). | If someone bypasses Netflix’s DRM to download and share movies, that’s a DMCA violation.
Ethical Relativism
The belief that morality is culturally defined and no universal moral standard exists. | A company operating in a country with weak privacy laws may justify invasive tracking, claiming it’s locally acceptable.
Utilitarianism (Ethics Theory)
Ethical choices should aim to produce the greatest good for the greatest number. | A company deciding to collect minimal user data to reduce privacy risks and increase trust is applying utilitarian logic.
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
U.S. law protecting sensitive patient health data. | A hospital employee leaking patient records without consent is violating HIPAA.
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)
European Union regulation that governs data privacy and gives individuals control over personal data. | A website failing to get explicit consent before tracking EU users with cookies violates GDPR.
Insider Threat
A security risk that originates from people within the organization. | An IT admin leaking internal documents due to personal grievances is an insider threat.
Social Engineering
Manipulating individuals to gain unauthorized access to information or systems. | A scammer pretending to be IT support and tricking an employee into giving login credentials.
Whistleblower
An individual who exposes illegal or unethical activity within an organization. | Edward Snowden leaked NSA surveillance practices, acting as a whistleblower.
Informed Consent (in Privacy)
The principle that individuals must knowingly agree to data collection or use. | A mobile app that hides its tracking policies deep in the Terms of Service lacks informed consent.
Stare Decisis
The legal principle of using precedent to decide future cases. | A judge uses a prior ruling on digital search and seizure to determine a similar cybercrime case.
Copyright Infringement
Unauthorized use of copyrighted material. | Uploading an artist’s song to YouTube without permission is copyright infringement.
Digital Signature
Cryptographic validation that verifies the authenticity and integrity of a digital message. | A signed software update assures users it came from the real developer and hasn’t been tampered with.
Due Care vs. Due Diligence
Due diligence is researching risks; due care is actively protecting against them. | A company conducting background checks shows due diligence; encrypting user data is due care.
Fourth Amendment (in cyber context)
Protects against unreasonable searches and seizures, applied to digital devices. | Police need a warrant to search your smartphone under the Fourth Amendment.
