A cybersecurity ethics analyst has a role within organizations to develop and maintain
effective security control to protect against cyber threats and ensure the confidentiality of
integrity, and availability of an organization’s data and systems. As technology continues to
evolve, a cybersecurity ethics consultant must navigate, protect, and mitigate the ever-growing
issues of ethics within the internet to maintain the trust of stakeholders, customers, partners, and
employees alike. According to EC University (2023), cyber security consultants’ roles within an
organization could range from developing security strategies and implementing security policies
that would best mitigate risk to a more extroverted approach of educating the employees of the
organization of those new policies and the importance of informing all employees of the best
security practices going forward.
Responding to security incidents is one of the main jobs conducted by a cybersecurity
analyst. To do so, the consultant could act as the perpetrator to perform information maneuvers,
via a mock security breach, to identify any possible vulnerabilities and loose access points. By
studying recent cyber-attacks performed at all levels, consultants would be able to specialize in
certain security measures needed for a specific company. For example, hackers who wish to
target big corporations would have aspirations notoriety and financial gain. However, smaller
companies would be easier targets for more opportunistic attackers who most likely use a “line
and bait” tactic on a multiple small business at once. According to LeClair (2024), ““Fifty
percent of small to medium-sized businesses (SMB) have been the victims of cyber attack and
over 60% of those attacked go A GROWING CONCERN FOR SMALL BUSINESS out of
business.” And to do so, these consultants must stay up to date with the latest firmware and
software updates.
Protecting an organization’s networks and systems is critical within this field. According
to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2023), “…must stay up to date on IT security on the latest
methods attackers are using to infiltrate computer systems. Analysts need to research new
security technology to decide what will most effectively protect their organization.” These
workers can also be known as a manual update to the whole organization. Not only do these
analysts maintain and update firewalls, but they prepare reports on security standards and
recommend update enhancements to the senior IT staff of the organization. This education
system through organizations is the most practical way of promoting social responsibility by
creating a more informed basis of workers using the internet. By teaching the senior staff of the
latest cybersecurity measures, who would then share that knowledge to all employees of the
organization, would allow for a “trickle down” of practical info that could save professional and
personal livelihoods.
Ultimately, as cybercrime begins to take over the vulnerability within the business
economy, jobs like a cybersecurity ethics analyst could help negate the growing theft that is
taking over the nation. At a staggering rate of four hundred forty-five billion dollars lost to
cybercrime worldwide, and intellectual property amounting to one hundred billion dollars being
stolen by individuals, the only way to combat such an infectious virus is to strengthen the
immune system. As we trade security for accessibility, we expose ourselves to greater risk.
Therefore, the role of a cybersecurity ethics analyst becomes vital to protecting the integrity and
availability of all data and systems.
WORKS CITED:
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2023, September 6). Information security analysts :
Occupational Outlook Handbook. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/information-security-
analysts.htm#tab-2
The impact of cybersecurity on Small Business. (n.d.-a).
https://www.sbir.gov/sites/all/themes/sbir/dawnbreaker/img/documents/Course10-
Tutorial1.pdf
Cybersecurity ethics grows in urgency as the digital landscape continues to Transform Society.
Cybersecurity Ethics: What Cyber Professionals Need to Know. (2023, August 21).
https://www.augusta.edu/online/blog/cybersecurity-ethics