Information Security and Ethics
Information Security and Ethics
Question 2
I am currently opposed to XYZ’s project of building a Missile Defense System because it is personally unethical, but this threatens my future career and life. Therefore, to address this ethical dilemma, it is important to participate in the project by following the utilitarian approach and employing the stakeholder process of ethical deliberation in making this essential decision.
According to the Utilitarian approach to ethical decision making, the best actions and decisions, ones considered ethical, are those that produce more good and the least distress and pain (Samson & Daft, 2012).The actions of an individual can be described as bad or good depending on the degree of pain or pleasure these actions produce. It is agreeable to decide and participate in the project because my action will result in more good and less pain (Samson & Daft, 2012). A Missile Defense System seeks to protect the lives of people from a missile attack, thus, the decision to support its construction will safeguard the lives of many people. Moreover, the consequences of this decision involve a large group of people, which makes it important to weight their various amounts of bad and good that will result from my action to resign from the project. Resigning from the project will cause more damage than good because it will affect the corporations, community, environment, and government.
Describe the process of ethical deliberation that you would undertake in trying to resolve this dilemma. Please elaborate (beyond a yes or no answer) and provide your “theoretical” rationale in support of your responses (knowledge, comprehension)
In the past decades, scholars have proposed numerous approaches to managing and resolving ethical predicaments. Many methods rely on decision-making theories while others are based on philosophical traditions. However, these approaches remain ineffective without ethical deliberation. Making ethical decisions and engaging in ethical actions does not only involve complying with ideas, principles, and procedures, but remaining abreast with one’s beliefs, emotions, and values (Werhane, 2013). Stakeholder ethical deliberation process considers all parties affected by a decision or action as valid moral agents in the decision-making process. These parties have a right to give their opinions and points-of-view with a view of making the final decision wiser, as confronting their reasons will influence other people’s opinion about the ethical predicament (Werhane, 2013).
The decision to resign from the project is likely to affect numerous stakeholders, including the government, community, corporations, environment, and most importantly, my life and family. Therefore, participating in the project to make the Missile Defense System is ethical because it brings good to all parties affected by the decision. Through the process of ethical deliberation, the decision-making process acknowledges that it is sometimes difficult to make rational decisions, as decisions are often affected by beliefs, feelings and values.
However, ethical deliberation is important in ensuring decisions remain intelligent and practical. Through the deliberation process, it was possible to consider the interests of all parties that will be affected by the decision to resign from the project. After realizing this decision would cause more harm to affected parties, participating in the project is an ethical decision because it seeks to bring more benefits than damages to the stakeholders in the project.
Question 1
Do you believe that a coherent and comprehensive code of conduct for computer professionals is possible? (b) If so, which of the codes mentioned in this chapter roughly resembles such a code? Explain your choice. Please elaborate (beyond a yes or no answer) and provide your “theoretical” rationale in support of your responses (knowledge)
Codes of conduct offer a framework for ethical judgment by a professional. However, there exists no comprehensive code that covers all ethical circumstances faced by a professional engineer, and it is agreeable no coherent code for computer professional is impossible. First, the numbers of practicing computer engineers who are members of professional societies that prioritize codes are low (Stamatellos, 2007). Many professionals run a personal business or are self-employed; thus, do not see the need to join complex organizations (Stamatellos, 2007). Moreover, many professional registered with professional societies are seldom aware of the existence of codes of ethics, maybe until they are faced with an ethical situation, or the organization faces ethical risks (Stamatellos, 2007). Engineering codes of ethics are known to cause internal conflicts and can be coercive. As a result, they are easily neglected and objected by professionals. Finally, changes in society have led to a shift of focus of codes of ethics from products offered by professionals to services offered and safety.
References
Samson, D., & Daft, R. L. (2012). Management. South Melbourne, Vic: Cengage Learning.
Stamatellos, G. (2007). Computer ethics: A global perspective. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and
Bartlett Publishers.
Werhane, P. H. (2013). Obstacles to ethical decision-making: Mental models, Milgram and the
problem of obedience.
