Question 1

The Department of Homeland Security works with academic campuses nationally, focusing on resilience, recruitment, internationalization, growing academic maturity, and academic research.

Accepted Answer

The Department of Homeland Security does work with academic campuses nationally on these areas of focus.

Question 2

Criminal laws address activities and conduct harmful to society and is categorized as private or public.

Accepted Answer

Criminal laws are designed to protect society from harmful activities and conduct that can endanger public safety, as well as address offenses committed against individuals. Criminal laws can be categorized as either public - aimed at protecting society as a whole, or private - targeted at individuals and their personal property.

Question 3

Due care and due diligence require that an organization make a valid effort to protect others and continually maintain this level of effort, ensuring these actions are effective.

Accepted Answer

Due care and due diligence require an organization to exercise a reasonable degree of care and take necessary precautions to protect others. It is not a one-time effort but should be a continuous process to ensure effectiveness.

Question 4

The United States has implemented a version of the DMCA law called the Database Right, in order to comply with Directive 95/46/EC.

Accepted Answer

The United States has not implemented a version of the DMCA law called the Database Right. The Database Right is a law that applies in the European Union to protect databases from unauthorized copying and extraction of their contents. The US has implemented its own laws, such as the Copyright Act, to protect databases and other types of intellectual property. Additionally, Directive 95/46/EC relates to data protection and privacy and does not directly concern intellectual property.

Question 5

Laws, policies, and their associated penalties only provide deterrence if offenders fear the penalty, expect to be caught, and expect the penalty to be applied if they are caught.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. The effectiveness of laws and policies in deterring crime depends on the perception of potential offenders that they will be caught and punished, and on a general belief that the penalty for breaking the law will be applied consistently and fairly. If offenders do not believe that there is a real risk of detection and punishment, then laws and policies will have little deterrent effect.

Question 6

The key difference between laws and ethics is that ethics carry the authority of a governing body and laws do not.

Accepted Answer

The statement is incorrect. Laws carry the authority of a governing body while ethics do not necessarily have the backing of a governing body but are based on moral principles and values.

Question 7

The Secret Service is charged with safeguarding the nation's financial infrastructure and payments systems to preserve the integrity of the economy.

Accepted Answer

The Secret Service is indeed charged with safeguarding the nation's financial infrastructure and payments systems to preserve the integrity of the economy.

Question 8

Employees are not deterred by the potential loss of certification or professional accreditation resulting from a breach of a code of conduct, because this loss has no effect on employees' marketability and earning power.

Accepted Answer

The potential loss of certification or professional accreditation can have a significant impact on an employee's marketability and earning power, as they may be seen as less qualified or trustworthy by potential employers or clients. Therefore, employees may be deterred by the potential loss of certification or professional accreditation resulting from a breach of a code of conduct.

Question 9

The Department of Homeland Security is the only U.S. federal agency charged with the protection of American information resources and the investigation of threats to, or attacks on, those resources.

Accepted Answer

While the Department of Homeland Security plays a role in protecting American information resources, it is not the only federal agency charged with this responsibility. Other agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National Security Agency (NSA) also have roles to play in this area.

Question 10

Individuals with authorization and privileges to manage information within the organization are most likely to cause harm or damage by accident.

Accepted Answer

Individuals with authorization and privileges have access to sensitive information and systems, making accidental harm or damage more likely. However, intentional harm from insiders is also a concern.

Question 11

The Computer Security Act of 1987 is the cornerstone of many computer-related federal laws and enforcement efforts; it was originally written as an extension and clarification of the Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984.

Accepted Answer

The Computer Security Act of 1987 was primarily focused on improving the security and privacy of sensitive information in federal computer systems and did not serve as an extension or clarification of the Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984. Its main goal was to establish a minimum acceptable security practices for such systems, and it tasked the National Bureau of Standards (now NIST) with developing these guidelines.

Question 12

Studies on ethics and computer use reveal that people of different nationalities have different perspectives; difficulties arise when one nationality's ethical behavior violates the ethics of another national group.

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that cultural differences can lead to differences in ethical behavior and values, which may cause conflicts when interacting with people of different nationalities.

Question 13

The difference between a policy and a law is that ignorance of a law is an acceptable defense.

Accepted Answer

Ignorance of a law is generally not an acceptable defense, as laws are legally binding and enforceable. Policies, on the other hand, may be internal guidelines or rules within an organization or institution, and may not have the same legal weight as laws.

Question 14

Unethical and illegal behavior is generally caused by ignorance (of policy and/or the law), by accident, and by inadequate protection mechanisms.

Accepted Answer

Unethical and illegal behavior can also be caused by intentional actions and a lack of moral values or ethical standards.

Question 15

For policy to become enforceable, it only needs to be distributed, read, understood, and agreed to.

Accepted Answer

For policy to become enforceable, it not only needs to be distributed, read, understood, and agreed to, but also needs to be implemented and enforced by the appropriate authority.

Question 16

The NSA is responsible for signal intelligence, information assurance products and services, and enabling computer network operations to gain a decision advantage for the United States and its allies under all circumstances.

Accepted Answer

The mission of the NSA includes signal intelligence, information assurance products and services, and enabling computer network operations to gain a decision advantage for the United States and its allies.

Question 17

In the context of information security, confidentiality is the right of individuals or groups to protect themselves and their information from unauthorized access.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the context of information security, confidentiality...

Question 18

Since it was established in January 2001, every FBI field office has started an InfraGard program to collaborate with public and private organizations and the academic community.

Accepted Answer

The statement is true.

Question 19

Cultural differences can make it difficult to determine what is ethical and not ethical between cultures, except when it comes to the use of computers, where ethics are considered universal.

Accepted Answer

Cultural differences can play a significant role in determining ethical behavior, including in the use of computers. What is considered ethical or unethical can vary greatly between different cultures and societies. Therefore, ethics cannot be considered universal in this context.

Question 20

The Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime has not been well received by advocates of intellectual property rights because it de-emphasizes prosecution for copyright infringement, but it has been well received by supporters of individual rights in the United States.

Accepted Answer

The statement incorrectly states that the Convention has been well received by supporters of individual rights in the United States. In fact, civil liberties groups have criticized the Convention for potentially threatening free speech and privacy rights online.

Quiz 3: Legal, Ethical, and Professional Issues in Information Security