60 practice questions
What does the Computer Misuse Act make illegal?
easyUnder the Computer Misuse Act 1990, which of the following would be classed as an offence under Section 1 (unauthorised access to computer material)?
easyExplain what is covered by Section 2 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990 ('unauthorised access with intent to commit or facilitate a further offence').
mediumA disgruntled employee deliberately deletes important files from their company's server without permission before leaving the job. Which Computer Misuse Act offence does this best describe?
mediumExplain why 'making, supplying or obtaining articles for use in computer misuse offences' (Section 3A) is itself a criminal offence under the Computer Misuse Act 1990.
hardAn employee finds their colleague's laptop unlocked and, out of curiosity, opens their colleague's emails without permission, but does not change or delete anything. Which offence under the Computer Misuse Act 1990 has most likely been committed?
mediumBriefly explain the possible penalties for offences under the Computer Misuse Act 1990.
mediumA student hacks into their school's network and changes their own exam results stored on the server. Which offence(s) under the Computer Misuse Act 1990 have they most likely committed?
hardExplain the key difference between an offence under Section 1 and an offence under Section 3 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990.
mediumWhich of the following scenarios would NOT typically be considered an offence under the Computer Misuse Act 1990?
easyWhat is the purpose of the Freedom of Information Act?
mediumWhat are cookies and why are they controversial?
mediumWhat does GDPR give individuals the right to do?
mediumUnder the Data Protection Act, which of the following is a responsibility of the data controller?
mediumWhich UK law requires organisations to keep personal data accurate, secure, and only for as long as necessary?
mediumA company collects data from users without clearly explaining what it will be used for. Which principle of data protection is most directly being violated?
mediumExplain what is meant by the 'right to be forgotten' (also known as the right to erasure) under data protection law.
mediumWhich of the following best describes the GDPR principle of 'data minimisation'?
mediumExplain the difference between a 'data subject', a 'data controller', and a 'data processor' under data protection law.
mediumUnder GDPR/UK data protection rules, a website that wants to use non-essential cookies (e.g. for advertising) for a visitor must:
mediumExplain two ethical concerns raised by widespread AI use.
mediumA music streaming company uses an algorithm that recommends only songs from artists signed to its own label. Which issue does this best illustrate?
mediumA company uses an AI system to screen job applications automatically. Discuss one ethical concern this raises and one possible safeguard.
hardDiscuss the ethical implications of using autonomous vehicles that must make split-second decisions in unavoidable accident scenarios.
hardExplain what is meant by the 'black box' problem in relation to AI decision-making, and why it raises ethical concerns.
mediumA significant ethical concern with facial recognition technology used by police forces is that:
mediumDiscuss one ethical issue raised by AI systems capable of generating realistic fake images, video or audio ('deepfakes').
hardA key ethical debate surrounding autonomous weapons systems (AI-controlled weapons that can select and engage targets without human intervention) concerns:
hardExplain what is meant by the 'accountability gap' in relation to autonomous systems (such as self-driving cars), and why it is an ethical issue.
hardA retail company uses AI-powered cameras in its stores to track customers' movements and analyse their behaviour without informing them. The main ethical concern here is:
mediumWhat is the difference between copyright and a software patent?
hardGive two reasons why open-source software is released under open licences.
easyExplain why software piracy (illegally copying and distributing software) is both a legal and an economic issue.
mediumOpen source software licences often require that any modified versions are also released as open source. What is the main purpose of this requirement?
mediumExplain what a trademark protects, and give an example relevant to computing/technology.
mediumWhich type of software licence typically allows users to freely use, modify, and redistribute the source code, often with the requirement that derivative works remain under the same licence?
easyExplain the key difference between proprietary software licensing and open-source software licensing.
mediumIn the UK, copyright protection for an original computer program created by an individual typically lasts for:
mediumExplain what an End User Licence Agreement (EULA) is, and why users are often asked to agree to one when installing software.
mediumA company's distinctive logo, used to identify its brand of computers, would most appropriately be protected by:
easyDescribe two positive and two negative social impacts of the internet.
mediumWhat is a digital divide and why does it matter ethically?
mediumGive two environmental impacts of increased computer use.
easyWhich of the following is most likely to be considered a cultural issue arising from increased internet use?
easyExplain why increased reliance on technology can create accessibility concerns for some groups in society.
mediumExplain what is meant by 'e-waste' and describe one way its environmental impact can be reduced.
mediumCloud computing services rely on large data centres. A key environmental concern associated with these data centres is:
mediumDiscuss one positive and one negative social impact of technology enabling more people to work remotely.
mediumWhich of the following is generally the largest contributor to the carbon footprint of a data centre?
mediumDiscuss the impact of automation (enabled by computing technology) on employment, considering both potential drawbacks and benefits to society.
mediumExplain the difference between a moral issue and a legal issue, using an example related to computing.
mediumExplain the purpose of a professional code of conduct, such as that produced by the British Computer Society (BCS), for people working in computing.
mediumWhich of the following actions would most clearly breach a typical professional code of conduct for IT practitioners?
mediumA software developer discovers that the company they work for is planning to release a product with a known safety flaw, without informing customers. Using an ethical framework, discuss how the developer might decide whether to report this (whistleblow) to an external body.
hardA computing professional notices that a colleague has made an error in code that could cause a financial system to miscalculate customer balances. Which response best demonstrates professional integrity?
mediumDiscuss the potential conflict between commercial pressure (e.g. to release a product quickly) and a computing professional's ethical responsibilities.
hardA software developer discovers a serious security vulnerability in a product just days before its scheduled public release. According to typical professional ethical standards, what should the developer do?
hardExplain why it is important to consider the views of different stakeholders when evaluating the ethical impact of a new computing system.
mediumAn ethical approach that judges whether an action is right or wrong primarily based on its outcomes or consequences (e.g. 'does it produce the greatest benefit for the greatest number of people?') is known as:
mediumA research organisation wants to use patient medical data, originally collected by hospitals for treatment purposes, to train an AI system that could help diagnose diseases earlier. Discuss the ethical considerations involved in this scenario.
hard| Act | Covers | Key provisions |
|---|---|---|
| Data Protection Act 2018 / UK GDPR | Storing & processing personal data | Data must be lawful, fair, accurate, minimal, secure; data-subject rights to access/erase |
| Computer Misuse Act 1990 | Hacking & malware | 3 offences: unauthorised access; unauthorised access with intent; unauthorised modification |
| Copyright, Designs & Patents Act 1988 | Ownership of original work | Protects software/media; illegal to copy or distribute without permission |
| Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) | Surveillance & interception | Regulates lawful interception of communications by public bodies |
Scenario → offence: - Guessing a colleague's password to read their email → unauthorised ACCESS (s.1) - Doing so to commit fraud → unauthorised access WITH INTENT (s.2) - Planting ransomware that encrypts files → unauthorised MODIFICATION (s.3)
| Ethical framework | Judges actions by | Computing example |
|---|---|---|
| Consequentialism | Their outcomes (greatest good for the most people) | Do the benefits of mass data collection outweigh the privacy harm? |
| Deontology | Fixed duties/rules of right and wrong | Never breach privacy, regardless of the benefit |
| Virtue ethics | What a person of good character would do | Would a responsible professional build this surveillance tool? |
| Social contract | Implicit agreements within society | Users trust their data will be protected — breaching that breaks the contract |
Automation & the workforce — AI/robotics removes some jobs while creating others, raising questions of retraining and inequality. Automated decision-making & AI — bias from skewed training data, lack of accountability, and "black box" opacity. Environmental impact — energy use of data centres and the growing problem of e-waste. Censorship & surveillance — monitoring online behaviour can improve safety but threatens privacy and free expression. The digital divide — unequal access by geography, wealth, age and nation has growing social consequences as services move online.