Throughout this Cybersecurity Ethics course, I have covered many topics ranging from data privacy to cyberconflict. All these modules and corresponding case studies have allowed me to broaden my perspective and views on exactly how the field of cybersecurity is nuanced regarding ethics. Furthermore, I have learned just how many relevant ethical tools can be utilized in an effort to explain the decisions of the entities involved in each action that caused it to warrant a case study. Of all the content we have covered throughout this semester, the three topics that really stood out to me and made an impact on my perspective were the case studies regarding data privacy, whistleblowing, and cyberconflict.

                Firstly, when it comes to data privacy, my first instinct prior to completing this course was to just relate it to that of what exactly people allow companies such as Facebook to collect legally. I never put it into perspective that data privacy can extend further to include even physical locations from an online source, in this case, Google Maps. Since studying the case study and completing a case analysis on the subject, my views have been drastically changed as I now have the knowledge that data privacy not only entails your browsing data and the algorithms that correspond with that, but that data privacy also extends to a person’s physical presence in an online forum and how that presence can affect a person’s real life. Google Maps violated ethical principles when they rolled out their software without safeguarding the identities and locations of both users and non-users that may show up on their mapping. Initially it had never occurred to me that this kind of data privacy was an issue that could hold relevance when it came to a person’s private data, as well as what exactly is “private data.”

                Secondly, I’ve always been a proponent of protection for whistleblowers, which is why this case study and subsequent analysis were interesting for me to complete. I was then and am still a supporter of what Edward Snowden felt the need to do when he came forward regarding the unethical and secretive surveillance of citizens by the United States government. However, I had never had the opportunity to provide a specific ethical tool to this incident, as well as the incident regarding the whistleblowing perpetrated by Chelsea Manning. The incorporation of a specific ethical tool, deontology in my case, allowed me to further solidify my beliefs that what these people did was morally and ethically correct and fit the description of whistleblowing in that these people had an ethical obligation to come forward as the damage being done to innocent citizens outweighed the benefits that the government was achieving.

                Lastly, my final takeaway is in the realm of cyberconflict. Prior to this case study and analysis, I had known that cyber conflict was a form of warfare that was being utilized. However, the extent and sophistication of which it has developed was unknown to me. This case analysis regarding the conflict between Israel and Iran opened my eyes to the ethical issues that pertain to this type of warfare, specifically in this case to how innocent civilians were being harmed as “collateral damage” in these cyberconflicts. I now know the ethical considerations and concepts such as noncombatant immunity which states that civilians should not be harmed intentionally in wartime. This concept was unfortunately violated in the case of Israel and Iran as critical civilian infrastructure was targeted.

                In conclusion, this Cybersecurity Ethics course has provided valuable insights into the ethical considerations and challenges that arise in the field of cybersecurity. The various modules and case studies have helped to broaden perspectives and shed light on the nuances of the subject. From data privacy to cyberconflict, the course has highlighted the relevance of ethical tools in explaining the decisions made by various entities involved in each case study. The three topics that stood out – data privacy, whistleblowing, and cyberconflict – have highlighted the need for a deeper understanding of ethical principles and their application in the field of cybersecurity. Through the course, the importance of safeguarding personal information, protecting whistleblowers, and ensuring noncombatant immunity has become clear. Overall, this Cybersecurity Ethics course has been an informative experience that has helped to broaden my perspective and understanding of the ethical considerations and challenges in the field of cybersecurity.