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
Changed Perspective: Whistle blowing
Whistle blowing is a controversial and problematic topic that we discussed in Module 5 through the perspectives of Wim Vandekerckhove, Roland Commers, Julinna Oxley, and D.E. Wittkower. In all examples, whistleblowing is built around rational loyalty and legal obligations relating to both professional and workplace ethics. However, when discussing with my peers about whistleblowing, my opinion changed on the topic. Many of my colleagues in my discussion boards emphasize that while whistle blowing may appear in the public’s interest, some are the by-products and actions of those individuals help question the true purpose of their actions. Edward Snowden for example, his actions appeared to be in the public’s interest as he exposed government agencies violating the 5th amendment on Americans through mass surveillance. However, some argue that his actions were unacceptable as he continued to collect money from events and fled to Russia for asylum to avoid being prosecuted. It’s a difficult topic to understand and through Module 5 discussing whistle blowing, I think my perspective has changed to be more skeptical about whistle blowing in future cases.
Deepened Perspective: Information Warfare
Information Warfare is an overlooked form of warfare that focuses on physiologically controlling one’s information space to diminish trust in society or in the government. Personally, I was already familiar with social cybersecurity and understood how dangerous changing the narrative of a story can be. In addition, adding the perspectives of Jarred Prier and Keith Scott helped deepen my understanding of unregulated mass media. I think what specifically deepened my understanding was how information warfare encompasses as a double-edged sword that can be beneficial or harmful towards society. In techniques such as trend-hijacking, information warfare allows a platform of injustice to raise concern about legitimate issues in society. On the other hand, third-party adversaries can enact information warfare to spread misinformation or propaganda to control the narratives of voters, as shown in the 2016 presidential election. Information warfare is not always directed to be negative and shows how diverse the “conflict” of information can be.
Gained Nuance: Professional Ethics
Professional ethics serves as the foundation of what actions are considered moral, ethical, and harmless towards society. In other words, the overarching goal of professional ethics is to protect, serve, and evolve society for the benefit of everyone. In the Module of professional ethics, Mary Armstrong’s perspective of professional ethics surrounds itself with both the implied social contract and confidentiality in professions. I find it very interesting the role that confidentiality plays inside professional ethics, as it holds itself as a prima facie obligation, but doesn’t hold itself as an absolute obligation in society. Armstrong implies that prima facie duties are consistent and obligatory in their manner that binds both the social contract of society towards the profession itself. In cases where confidentiality needs to be broken, Armstrong explains that it’s acceptable to break their duties to protect and serve society. This small difference relates to my situation, as I’m currently moving towards working in the federal government in risk management involving cybersecurity. This idea feels very contradictory as while I protect our nation’s security, it’s unacceptable to break that confidentiality, or whistle blow, against our federal government even if I feel that the intended action could cause harm to society. The overall goal of our Department of Defense is to serve, protect, and maintain our national security or assets that also protects our own society. As professional ethics are necessary, small differences and exceptions should be made. In addition, other factors affect confidentiality in the profession such as rational workplace loyalty and implicit obligations.