Cybersecurity Ethics

This course examines ethical issues relevant to ethics for cybersecurity professionals, including privacy, professional code of conduct, practical conflicts between engineering ethics and business practices, individual and corporate social responsibility, ethical hacking, information warfare, and cyberwarfare. Students will gain a broad understanding of central issues in cyberethics and the ways that fundamental ethical theories relate to these core issues.

Reflection On Course

This course has given me a lot to think about when it comes to my writing skills. Whether that would be engaging in doing more research on a specific topic than provided by the professor, or whether going back and reading an article multiple times to get a complete grasp on the topic. This course has challenged me to think outside the box and challenge new perspectives on writing and research.

One of the key takeaways I have from this course is the use of virtue ethics. Virtue ethics refers to a set of principles or values that guide an individual’s behavior and decision-making. It is an essential aspect of personal character that shapes how we interact with others and the world around us. Virtue ethics serves as a moral compass, guiding us to do what is right, fair, and just, even when no one is watching. Virtue ethics can be used to make ethical decisions and navigate complex situations in everyday life. This changed my viewpoint as I thought that it was just to be good to people, after reading about it, I take it as using smart and ethical thinking as a problem-solving tool. When we act within our values, we feel a sense of personal integrity and self-respect. Being honest, kind, and respectful creates a positive environment that fosters growth and encourages others to do the same. Morality is a critical aspect of personal character that should be practiced in everyday life. By incorporating ethical principles into my decision-making and interactions, I can make better decisions that will help me, and the world around me. This could be when having to make a tough decision or a decision between myself and others, I hope to look back on virtue ethics to help me.

Another perspective that I used a lot in this course was the perspective of consequentialism. Consequentialism is the idea that when someone takes an action and the results are good, then the action was good, if the results were bad then the action was bad. I always used to think that utilitarianism was about having a Utopian society where everything was good and there was no harm. Well, this class taught me that it is like where your actions should be made to put out the greatest good for the world as possible. I don’t agree with this mindset as I don’t think that every action you make should be for others because you as a person matter as well. Going into the class I knew about the trolly problem and that there is no right answer. But with a Utilitarian mindset, I now understand that killing 1 person and saving the others is what they would want as it creates the least amount of sadness in the world. My key takeaway is that you can’t make everyone in the world happy. So, when making decisions in the future, try and create the least amount of sadness while also having the best possible outcome for myself and others.

The last ethical theory I used a lot was deontology. Deontology is the theory that whether the action is right or wrong, the reason for doing the action had good implications behind it. My perspective coming in was that people that do terrorist attacks in the name of their god think they are doing the right thing no matter what the result of what they do is. It then changed when I read about Kant’s view on it. Kant explains there is only one reason we should do actions and that it should be moral no matter what we do. This changed my perspective so that the actions we should do should be moral and for the right reason rather than doing something we think is good and it not being good at all. Duty and respect are what everyone should drive to do in their everyday lives as Kant says. I will be taking that with me in the future as I will be treating everyone with respect and for the best possible outcome.

This course has taught me a lot about ethical theories that I can see when making decisions in the future. Whether that be in the workforce with cybersecurity or in my everyday life. I will take these readings and theories I have learned and apply them to my everyday life.