1. Describe four ethical issues that arise when storing electronic information about individuals.

2. Compare cybersecurity risks in the U.S. and another country.

Four ethical issues that arise when storing electronic information about individuals are privacy, security, accuracy, and access. These elements are ethical issues due to the sensitive nature of the information. Privacy is important due to the rights of the individual. Medical records, bank statements, and identifiable information are all stored electronically and can be accessed by attackers or workers who have access to the network. Without proper safeguards and protections, this information can become leaked and violate the life of an individual. Security is an ethical dilemma due to where sensitive information is stored. If a company or organization isn’t up to standards on their security features then that puts individuals’ information at risk. It is up to the public to trust organizations to maintain the absolute best security features. When a data leak occurs or an organization is hacked it is an innocent individual’s information that is leaked without effect to the company. Extreme cyber attacks can put thousands of individuals’ information at risk with no fault to their own. Accuracy is important due to the stored information within the systems. An error entered with important information can affect a person greatly even though they never entered the information and someone else did. Errors can lead to financial problems or a delay in possible benefits. Access is the highest ethical dilemma as we are generally unaware of who has access to our sensitive information. Often people who have no need to see information have access to all of our information. It should be a need-to-know basis of access so your rights are protected. The public puts extreme trust in employees of organizations to maintain their privacy and not use their access to observe information only meant for professionals. Cybersecurity risks in the United States are common. Often attacks will attempt to gain entry into financial institutions or leak your private information. Our government actively works to prevent attacks and protect the public from unknown threats. Hackers can attempt to shut down power grids or vital pipelines causing catastrophic damage to the public. Ecuador is another country facing cyber-attacks. Their government much like the United States actively employs online defenses to defend their population. As the world continuously becomes more connected via the internet the possibility of threats increases. World governments are starting to work together to prevent these attacks and make the world a safer place to protect the people.