Cybersecurity Ethics

End of Course Reflection (PHIL 355E)

            I have learned and engaged with many different topics, perspectives, and positions in this course. There are some topics and perspectives that have changed my thoughts that I have previously had, and I have taken valuable takeaways from the content in this course this semester. I hope to go back to and use these theories and cyber topics I have learned in this course in the future whether it be in my Cybersecurity career in the future or a class I take in the future.

One of the topics I really learned from this course was the topic on ethical reasoning and morality. I have learned about different theories where certain actions are ethical and right and others where actions are unethical and morally wrong. Deontology for example, the theory goes into the right reasoning behind an individual’s actions whether good or bad. I would say my knowledge has grown over this topic because I did not really know what Deontology was until I unlocked the tool and applied it into a case analysis. I have learned how to implement this theory into a case and do a case analysis using the tool to assess the actions in the case and determine what I thought was right and wrong and consider opposing views to the case. I would like to use this takeaway from this topic and apply it in the future in my future career in the Cybersecurity Field and be able to use this theory in other Cybersecurity classes in the future when needed.

Another topic I learned from this course was the topic on whistleblowing and why someone in a company might end up whistleblowing and releasing information that company or organization has been hiding from the public. In this topic I learned that people mainly whistle blow because there was some type of loyalty lost for the company or organization because they do not see the company as valuable anymore considering what they have discovered. In this topic I have also seen and read different concepts from different authors. These concepts went into detail with loyalty, each author defining loyalty in different ways being that there are different views of loyalty individuals can have depending on what they believe loyalty is. Some could believe loyalty is an obligation to company or organization that you work for while others think it is freedom to be loyal and have loyalty towards a certain company, business, or organization.

Finally, another topic I learned from this course is cyberwar and cyber conflicts. My thoughts have changed on cyberwar and conflict between two countries or opposing parties. Cyberwar can be just as damaging whether physically, mentally, and economically as a physical war. Cyberwar can put people lives at risk by using worms or malicious code that could do things such as disable gas stations or contaminate water in a wide radius. Yes, cyberwar or any type of was in general is not ok or ethical but using technology in conflicts is where the world is headed and is the future.