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CS Professional · Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics and Cyber Security - Laws and Practice · Computer Hardware and Software

A company secretary advises a logistics firm whose delivery tablets, smart meters and sensors each contain a small dedicated computer performing a fixed function, connected over the internet. A data breach through a sensor firmware flaw leads to unauthorised access to a computer resource. Which statement is correct?

Sensor devices are embedded systems, which are special-purpose computers, and the IT Act, 2000 defines computer broadly enough to cover any high-speed data processing device. Hence a firmware breach causing unauthorised access can attract liability; the Act is not limited to mainframes, supercomputers or general-purpose machines.

  1. ASuch dedicated sensor computers are embedded systems, and they still fall within the IT Act, 2000 definition of a computer resource, so unauthorised access can attract liabilityCorrect
  2. BEmbedded systems are outside the IT Act, 2000 because they have no operating system
  3. COnly supercomputers and mainframes are treated as a computer under the IT Act, 2000
  4. DLiability arises only if the device is a general purpose microcomputer

Explanation

Embedded systems are special-purpose computers built into devices. The IT Act defines computer broadly to include any electronic, magnetic, optical or other high-speed data processing device, so connected sensors are covered. Limiting the Act to general-purpose or large machines contradicts that wide definition.

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