Identify and Describe the Important Ethical Issues in Computer Security

¶ … Ethical Issues in Computer Security

The ubiquity of information systems, more particularly those that are internetworked, has provided for better personal lives and enabled business to operate more efficiently and effectively ever than before. Congruent to the rise of various information systems and the information technologies that drive thereto is the challenges posed by these emerging and constantly evolving technologies and systems particularly in the milieu of ethics in computer security. Thus, these modern innovations, while requiring protection to ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of which, need to balance the requirements of security and ethical issues. Numerous ethical issues abound when it comes to computer security or implementing information security. Information systems raise new ethical questions for both individuals and societies because they create opportunities for intense social change, and thus threaten existing distributions of power, money, rights, and obligations (Laudon & Laudon, 2008, p. 128). These ethical issues in computer security range from privacy rights, acceptable use of computer resources, ownership of hardware, software and related systems and processes to the determination of the often conflicting ethical and legal issues in computer security.

A primary case in point in computer security and ethical issues involved therein is with regards to privacy rights. Organizations nowadays, whether public or private, hold not only personal and confidential information of various individuals or entities but also corporate proprietary information. By having information of this nature, there are concerns as to who accesses the information and to whom the organization grants the access. Fortunately, there are legislations that govern how the information will be disseminated and to whom. From these legislations, organizations developed policies aligned therein to ensure that only identified and authorized individuals and entities can have access or can be provided the information. For instance in the United States, medical records and other health related information are "covered by HIPAA, and so any breach will be first considered a legal issue, not an ethical one (Pfleeger & Pfleeger, 2007, p. 701)." However, if the person misusing or misappropriating the medical or health records belong to a professional organization (i.e. doctors, nurses), that person is not only legally liable for the misdeed but ethically also since he or she broke the professional code of ethics adhered to. The penalty will not be only based on the illegal acts committed but there will be sanctions also as a result of the unethical conduct. The ultimate sanction on the unethical act can be the revocation of the license to practice the medical profession.