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
End of Course Reflection
Cybersecurity Ethics has plenty of complex concepts. Every concept has its own root and definition. Therefore, this concept can be viewed and used in many different ways.
First and foremost, is privacy and user data concepts. These concepts are related to each other, in terms of security. Privacy and user data are basic concepts and fundamental terms in the cyber security profession. According to NIST or National Institute of Standards and Technology, privacy can be defined as “Assurance that the confidentiality of, and access to, certain information about an entity is protected.” and “freedom from intrusion into the private life or affairs of an individual when that intrusion results from undue or illegal gathering and use of data about that individual” Moving on to another concept, which is user data. User data simply means any information the user owns or creates. Takeaway, by combining these two concepts together as future cyber security professionals. It is essential to protect user rights, information, confidentiality, and personal identity.
The second is corporate social responsibility concepts. According to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, CSR can be defined as “a management concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and interactions with their stakeholders.” Therefore, the CSR concept in cyber security was to focus on social responsibility that every company should take to protect its consumers and its data for both user and society benefit. In addition to this, Kantianism or Kant is a deontological position proposed by Immanuel Kant. Kantian moral reasoning tools explain that “For Kant, the duty to respect others is absolute, and it’s never right to fail to respect others for the greater good.” In short, doing the right thing means respecting others. Takeaway, it’s never right to do a wrong thing, and it’s wrong to not do the right thing.
Lastly, is the professional ethics concept. In the world of the profession, this concept will become very valuable and essential for everyone in their career. For all professions, there are universal ethical principles that need to be applied. Which include: accountability, doing good and avoiding harm to others, adherence to the law, respect for others, loyalty, trustworthiness, and honesty. Therefore, following through with this professional code of conduct will help to develop confidence in the profession’s trustworthiness, provide greater transparency to clients, be easier to deal with, and be reliable when dealing with other professions. Lastly, Kant states that “Kant held that one could do something that resulted in good things but that was motivated by bad reasons. When this happens, the person has still done something wrong.” Takeaway, always doing something that resulted in good things and motivated by good reasons. Respecting others is a must and don’t make an exception for yourself.
In conclusion, to become a perfectly professional, it is important to act in an ethical way and always be moral. Always respect others and be responsible to the whole society. Follow the professional code of conduct to develop great personal behavior. Lastly, always concerned about others and society’s benefit.
Reference
Editor, C. S. R. C. C. (n.d.). Privacy – glossary. CSRC. Retrieved December 14, 2021, from
https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary/term/privacy.
What is CSR? UNIDO. (n.d.). Retrieved December 14, 2021, from
https://www.unido.org/our-focus/advancing-economic-competitiveness/competitive-trade-
capacities-and-corporate-responsibility/corporate-social-responsibility-market-integration
/what-csr.