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.

Course Material

Throughout this cybersecurity ethics course, there were three topics/perspectives that resonated with me. Those topics/perspectives were privacy, whistleblowing, and consequentialism. These three topics/ perspectives not only allowed me to dig deeper in the realm of cybersecurity, but also enforced my reasoning to want to get into the field of cybersecurity. The ethics behind cybersecurity are what makes the field a field.

The topic of privacy was the first thing that was gone over in this course. It was also one of the very few topics that were the backbone for why other topics had to be discussed. In this section, I learned that privacy is not only important but a right. Yet, there are people and companies out there who take advantage of others’ privacy for their own personal gain. I created the stance that personal information is personal, and people have the right to keep it to themselves unless consent to share has been clearly outlined. I learned that personal information could include addresses, social security numbers, credit card numbers, and even unconsented pictures. In case analysis 1, I had to read about the actions taken by Google Street View and how they took pictures of others’ homes without consent. It made me feel sick that a company so big like Google did such a thing. All I could think to myself is, “how could a company so big put others’ privacy at risk like it was nothing?” Well apparently, it happens a lot more than we are willing to admit. Cybersecurity starts with privacy in my opinion and learning the ethics behind privacy helped me create that opinion.

Whistleblowing was another topic that really hit home to me. Learning about the ethical dilemma that people might have to face one day was not only eye-opening but almost helpful. In a professional environment, we run into the possibility of not agreeing with what a company does and whistleblowing is the act of publicly bringing to light the immoral acts of those companies. After this lesson/module I decided that whistleblowing is ethical and a must. To me, whistleblowing has to be done especially if the actions being done by the company go against your moral compass. It would almost be wrong for me to stay quiet. This module helped me prepare to stick up for my morals even if that means losing my job. Cybersecurity affects a whole lot of people besides yourself and it is important to maintain the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of individuals’ information.

Lastly, the viewpoint of consequentialism was really helpful not only in this specific course but in real life as well. A doing is good when the consequences of an action are good, and action is bad if the consequences of an action are bad. This is something to consider in the professional world. It is important to ask yourself, “if I do this will the outcome be good, or would it be bad?” If the answer is that it would be bad, then perhaps it would be wise to not act. I learned that we as individuals have consequences whether that be the decisions and actions we take at work or even at home. I would like to take this viewpoint and work it into my everyday life. This will help me be more mindful in my decision-making, benefit my career, and help me stay true to my morals.

Overall, this course has not only allowed me to think deeply about the ethical concerns and responsibilities in the field of cybersecurity but has also allowed me to think deeply about my personal life. Privacy is a right. Whistleblowing is a must in the face of a moral dilemma. Consequentialism is a viewpoint that keeps in mind the consequences of actions. All three of these perspectives/viewpoints furthered my determination to be in the cybersecurity field. The cybersecurity ethics course has been a joy to explore.