IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING Module 1 PDF

IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING 1|Page IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING Welcome Message Welcome to this course IC 122 – Professional Ethics in Computing. This course pack is designed for Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT) and Computer Science (BSCS) students, school heads and teachers. It aims to provide learners with the knowledge regarding the overview of ethics, in the field of IT professionals, computer and cybercrime, privacy, freedom of expression, intellectual property, software development policies and standards, and employer/employee issues. And this course also discusses the impact of ethics and the legal aspects for the basis in the Information Technology towards equality and morality of life. The General Course Objectives: o To be able to understand the whole perspective of ethics in the Information Technology domain. o To be able to relate the morality of life into people and organization. o To be able to understand the steps and apply ethical decision making. o To be able to identify ethical decisions with legal aspect consideration. You are expected to work on all exercises as they build on the concepts of each topic introduced in each lesson. So to make this learning experience rewarding for you, study this course pack with your co-learners at your own pace. You can also ask the help and support of your peers, tutor, and friends. Note that Google is your friend. Keep safe and good luck! Faculty Information: Name: Leah O. Pelias Email: [email protected] Contact Number (Office): +6382 227-8192 loc. 276 2|Page IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING Table of Contents THE COURSE OVERVIEW............................................................................. 6 COURSE ASSESSMENT................................................................................ 7 LEARNING EVIDENCE................................................................................... 8 OTHER REQUIREMENTS AND ASSESSMENTS (AA).................................. 9 ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY:............................................................................ 10 GRADING SYSTEM...................................................................................... 11 COURSE MAP.............................................................................................. 12 MODULE 1.................................................................................................... 13 Module Overview:.......................................................................................... 13 Module Outcomes:........................................................................................ 13 MODULE 2.................................................................................................... 49 Module Overview:.......................................................................................... 49 Module Outcomes:........................................................................................ 49 MODULE 3.................................................................................................... 84 Module Overview:.......................................................................................... 84 Module Outcomes:........................................................................................ 84 COURSE SUMMARY...................................................................................129 REFERENCES.............................................................................................130 3|Page IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHEASTERN PHILIPPINES Vision Premier Research University in the ASEAN. Mission USeP shall produce world-class graduates and relevant research and extension through quality education and sustainable resource management. Goal At the end of the plan period, the University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP) aims to achieve five comprehensive and primary goals: 1. Recognized ASEAN Research University 2. ASEAN Competitive Graduates and Professionals 3. Vibrant Research Community 4. Proactive Research-based Economic Empowering Extension Services 5. Capacity for Innovative Resource Generation 4|Page IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING INSTITUTIONAL GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES LEADERSHIP SKILLS Creates and inspires positive changes in the organization; exercises responsibility with integrity and accountability in the practice of one’s profession or vocation. CRITICAL AND ANALYTICAL THINKING SKILLS Demonstrates creativity, innovativeness, and intellectual curiosity in optimizing available resources to develop new knowledge, methods, processes, systems, and value-added technologies. SERVICE ORIENTED Demonstrates concern for others, practices professional ethics, honesty, and exemplifies socio-cultural, environmental concern, and sustainability. LIFELONG LEARNING Demonstrates enthusiasm and passion for continuous personal and professional development. PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE Demonstrates proficiency and flexibility in the area of specialization and in conveying information in accordance with global standards. CORE VALUES OF THE UNIVERSITY UNITY STEWARDSHIP EXCELLENCE PROFESSIONALISM 5|Page IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING THE COURSE OVERVIEW COURSE TITLE : PROFESSIONAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING CREDIT : 3.0 SEMESTER : 1st Semester TIME FRAME : 54 Hours requirement, 18 Weeks COURSE DESCRIPTION : This course equips the students with the knowledge regarding the overview of ethics, in the field of IT professionals, computer and cybercrime, privacy, freedom of expression, intellectual property, software development policies and standards, and employer/employee issues. And this course also discusses the impact of ethics and the legal aspects for the basis in the Information Technology towards equality and morality of life. COURSE OUTCOMES : 1. Evaluate solutions on real life problem based on the 5 steps in the ethical decision-making process. 2. Create a compendium of evaluation report on ethics in Information Technology. 6|Page IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING COURSE ASSESSMENT Learning Evidence and Measurement Rubrics As evidence of attaining the above learning outcomes, the student has to do and submit the following: Learning Course Outcomes it Description and other Details Evidence represents Applying the steps in ethical decision LE1 Compendium making, you are are expected to Report prepare an evaluation report on the case problem providing relevant interpretation, solutions, and recommendations on the required content. Your output will be monitored and checked by progress after the end –of –topic discussion. CO1, Your report shall be submitted through CO2 email, courier, university drop boxes, or through the LMS at least three weeks before the end of the semester. Your output will be validated using a procedure that will be communicated to the students with the agreed and applicable options. 7|Page IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING LEARNING EVIDENCE LE1: Compendium Report Exceed Expectation Met Expectation Partially Met Did Not Meet Expectation Expectation Purpose It has a central The central purpose The central purpose or The purpose or purpose or argument or argument is not argument is not argument is generally that is readily consistently clear unclear apparent to the Consistently clear throughout the paper. reader. throughout the paper. Content It has a balanced The information Information supports a The central purpose of presentation of provides reasonable central purpose or arguments is not relevant and support for a central argument at times. identified. The analysis is legitimate information purpose or argument The analysis is basic vague or not evident that supports a and displays or general. central purpose or evidence of a basic argument and shows analysis of a a thoughtful, in-depth significant topic. analysis of a significant topic. Organization The ideas are The ideas are Generally, the writing The writing is not arranged logically to arranged logically to is arranged logically, logically organized. support the purpose support the central although occasionally Frequently, ideas fail to of the argument. They purpose or argument. ideas fail to make make sense together. flow smoothly from They are usually sense together and one to another clearly linked to each and are linked to other. each other. Use of Reference Compelling evidence Professionally Although attributions Reference is seldom from professionally legitimate sources are occasionally given, cited to support that support claims many statements statements legitimate sources are are generally present. seem unsubstantiated. given to support the claims Identification of The solution Multiple viable Feasible, efficient Intractable or incorrect possible solutions presented does alternative solutions approach and solution solution provided. convey the output with pros/cons but with a missing or and context discussed. However, incorrect item of the effectively. there is a missing or output presented. incorrect item of the output presented. 8|Page IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING OTHER REQUIREMENTS AND ASSESSMENTS (AA) Aside from the final output, the student will be assessed at other times during the term by the following: Assessment Description and other Details Course Outcomes Activity it represents AA1 Discussion Applying the steps in ethical decision making, you Questions are expected to prepare a soolutions on the real – life problem questions providing relevant interpretation, comments, and recommendations on the required content. CO1, CO2 A sample report will be provided as a reference and the output will be assessed using the rubric. The case report shall be submitted through email, courier, university drop boxes, or through the LMS at least three weeks before the end of the semester. The output will be validated using a procedure that will be communicated to the students with the agreed and applicable options. 9|Page IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY: AA1: Dicussion Questions Criterion Expectation Acceptable Marginal Needs Improvement Purpose It has a central The central purpose or The central The purpose or purpose or argument argument is not purpose or argument is generally that is readily argument is not unclear apparent to the Consistently clear consistently clear reader. throughout the paper. throughout the paper. Content It has a balanced The information Information The central purpose of presentation of provides reasonable supports a central arguments is not relevant and support for a central purpose or identified. The analysis legitimate information purpose or argument argument at times. is vague or not evident that supports a and displays evidence The analysis is central purpose or of a basic analysis of a basic or general. argument and shows significant topic. a thoughtful, in-depth analysis of a significant topic. Organization The ideas are The ideas are Generally, the The writing is not arranged logically to arranged logically to writing is arranged logically organized. support the purpose support the central logically, although Frequently, ideas fail to of the argument. They purpose or argument. occasionally ideas make sense together. flow smoothly from They are usually fail to make sense and one to another clearly linked to each together and are linked to other. each other. Use of Reference Compelling evidence Professionally Although Reference is seldom from professionally legitimate sources that attributions are cited to support support claims are occasionally given, statements legitimate sources are generally present. many statements given to support the seem claims unsubstantiated. Identification of The solution Multiple viable Feasible, efficient Intractable or incorrect possible solutions presented does alternative solutions approach and solution provided. convey the output with pros/cons solution but with a and context discussed. However, missing or effectively. there is a missing or incorrect item of incorrect item of the the output output presented. presented. 10 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING GRADING SYSTEM The final grade in this course will be composed of the following items and their weights in the final grade computation: Assessment Percentage of Final Grade Source (Score or Rubric Grade) Item Grade AA1 Dicussion Questions - Rubric 35% AA2 Sel-Assessment Questions - Score 20% LE1 Compendium Report - Rubric 45% s 11 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING COURSE MAP Professional Ethics in Computing COURSE MAP MODULE1 MODULE 2 MODULE 3 Overview and Theories Ethics in Information and Ethics Computing and Society Technology LESSON 1 LESSON 1 LESSON 1 Computer and Internet Intellectual Property Overview of Ethics and Its Crime Legal Perspective LESSON 2 LESSON 2 Software Development LESSON 2 Privacy Issues Gender, Ethics & LESSON 3 LESSON 3 Information Technology Freedom of Expression Employer –Employee LESSON 3 Issues Ethics for IT Professinals LESSON 4 and IT Users Impact of IT to quality of life COURSE OUTCOME  Evaluate solutions on real life problem based on the 5 steps in the ethical decision-making process.  Create a compendium of evaluation report on ethics in Information Technology. 12 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING MODULE 1 Module Overview: In this Module o Overview of Ethics and its legal aspect in Computing o Gender, Ethics and Information Technology o Ethics for IT Professional and IT user’s Welcome, dear students in Module 1. This module introduces you to a summary and theories in Computing Ethics. You should acquire a deep understanding of how to create ethical decision-making because when you will soon become an Information Technologies in the field, ethical decision- making is always an important factor to have a harmonious workplace. Also, this module introduces a comprehensive perspective about the difference between right and wrong wherein the main target is the relationships and behavior as an individual. Moreover, this module introduces to you to gender dimensions in society, inorder to strengthen the awareness of gender-based biases in society and apply the right gender form that leads to ethical practice. Module Outcomes: Upon completion of this module, you shall be able to: 1. Understand and define the concepts of integrity and ethics. 2. Use the five steps in Ethical Decision Making 3. Identify the societal practices in terms of gender-based biases 4. Explore various ethical dilemmas and apply different ethical concepts and approaches. 13 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING Overview of Ethics and its legal aspect in Computing Introduction This lesson will introduce you to ethics and why is it important to act according to a code of ethics. Also, explore corporate social responsibility as well as fostering good business ethics and to practice the ethical decision making Objectives: o Explain and understand why business ethics is becoming increasingly important. o Discuss why corporations are interested in fostering good business ethics and why is it important to act according to a code of principles. o Write insights and updates on corporations are doing to improve business ethics and give an example of approaches one can take to ensure ethical decision making. o Discuss why trends have increased the risk of using information technology unethically. Let’s Get Started! WORD HUNT. Look for a word that relates to ethics? Just like at least the first five words you found. 14 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING Let’s Think About it! Considered the questions that follow: 1. Have you found at least five (5) words that relate to Ethics? 2. Is the first word you found is ethical? 3. Can you describe now what Ethics is based on the word you find? Let’s Explore! What is Ethics? Each society forms a set of rules that establishes the boundaries of generally accepted behavior. These rules are often expressed in statements about how people should behave, and they fit together to form the moral code by which society lives. Unfortunately, the different rules often have contradictions, and people are sometimes uncertain about which rule to follow. For instance, if you witness a friend copy someone else’s answer while taking the exam, you might be caught in a conflict between loyalty to your friend and the value of telling the truth. The term morality refers to social conventions about right and wrong that are so widely shared that they become the basis for an established consensus. However, individual views of what is moral may vary by age, culture group, ethics background, religion, life experiences, education, and gender. Example The issue of abortion, death penalty, and divorce are continuously debated in our country because most of the time the arguments are on solid moral ground. Definition of Ethics Ethics is a set of beliefs about right and wrong behavior within a society. Ethical behavior conforms to generally accepted norms-many of which are almost universal. However, although nearly everyone would agree that lying and cheating are unethical, opinions about what constitutes ethical behavior often vary dramatically. Example, Attitudes toward software piracy- that is, the practice of illegally making copies of software or enabling others to access software to which they are not entitled range from strong opposition to acceptance of practice as a standard approach to conducting business. 15 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING In 2011, an estimated 43 percent of all personal computer software in circulation worldwide was pirated—at a commercial value of $63 billion (USD). Highest Piracy rate 92%- Zimbabwe 91% - Georgia 90%- Bangladesh 90%- Libya 90%- Moldova Lowest piracy rate 19%- United States 20%- Luxembourg 21% - Japan 22% New Zealand As children grow, they learn complicated tasks—such as walking, talking, swimming, riding a bike, and writing the alphabet—that they perform out of habit for the rest of their lives. People also develop habits that make it easier for them to choose between what society considers good or bad. A virtue is a habit that inclines people to do what is acceptable, and a vice is a habit of unacceptable behavior. Fairness, generosity, and loyalty are examples of virtues, while vanity, greed, envy, and anger are considered vices. People’s virtues and vices help define their value system—the complex scheme of moral values by which they live. Important of Integrity Your moral principles are statements of what you believe to be rules of right conduct. As a child, you may have been taught not to lie, cheat, or steal. As an adult facing more complex decisions, you often reflect on your principles when you consider what to do in different situations: Is it okay to lie to protect someone’s feelings? Should you intervene with a coworker who seems to have a chemical dependency problem? Is it acceptable to exaggerate your work experience on a résumé? Can you cut corners on a project to meet a tight deadline? A person who acts with integrity acts following a personal code of principles. One approach to acting with integrity—one of the cornerstones of ethical behavior—is to extend to all people the same respect and consideration that you expect to receive from others. For example, you might believe it is important to do as your employer requests while also believing that you should be fairly compensated for your work. Thus, if your employer insists that, due to budget constraints, you not report the overtime hours that you have worked, a moral conflict arises. You can do as your employer requests or you can insist on being fairly 16 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING compensated, but you cannot do both. In this situation, you may be forced to compromise one of your principles and act with an apparent lack of integrity. Another form of inconsistency emerges if you apply moral standards differently according to the situation or people involved. For example, you might consider it morally acceptable to tell a little white lie to spare a friend some pain or embarrassment, but would you lie to a work colleague or customer about a business issue to avoid unpleasantness? Many ethical dilemmas are not as simple as right versus wrong but involve choices between right versus right. As an example, for some people it is “right” to protect the Alaskan wildlife from being spoiled and also “right” to find new sources of oil to maintain U.S. oil reserves, but how do they balance these two concerns? The Difference between Morals, Ethics, and Laws Morals are one’s personal beliefs about right and wrong. Ethics describes standards or codes of behavior expected of an individual by a group (nation, organization, profession) to which an individual belongs For example, the ethics of the law profession demand that defense attorneys defend an accused client to the best of their ability, even if they know that the client is guilty of the most heinous and morally objectionable crime one could imagine. Law is a system of rules that tells us what we can and cannot do. Laws are enforced by a set of institutions (the police, courts, law-making bodies). Moral acts conform to what an individual believes to be the right thing to do. Laws can proclaim an act as legal, although many people may consider the act immoral—for example, abortion. What is professional Ethics? - Professional ethics encompass the personal and corporate standards of behavior expected by professionals.  Component of Professional Ethics - Some professional organizations may define their ethical approach in terms of the number of discrete components. Typically, these include: 17 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING  Honesty – refers to a facet of moral character and denotes positive, virtuous attributes such as integrity, truthfulness, and straightforwardness along with the absence of lying, cheating, or theft.  Integrity- is a concept of consistency of actions, values, methods, measures principles, expectations, and outcomes.  Trustworthiness- in a social context, trust has several connotations. Definitions of trust typically refer to a situation characterized by the following aspect: one party (trustor) is willing to rely on the actions of another party (trustee) o Transparency- is a general quality. It is implemented by a set of policies, practices, and procedures. o Accountability- is often used synonymously with such concept as answerability, blameworthiness, liability, and other terms associated with the expectation of account-giving o Confidentiality- is an ethical principle of discretion associated with the professions, such as medicine, law, psychotherapy. o Objectivity- is a principle of journalistic professionalism. It refers to fairness, disinterestedness, factuality, and non-partisanship. o Respect- gives a positive feeling of esteem for a person and conduct representative of the esteem. o Obedience to the law- law is commonly understood as a system of rules that are created and enforced through social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, although its precise definition is a matter of longstanding debate. o Loyalty-in general use is a devotion and faithfulness to nation, cause, philosophy, country, group, or person. Ethics In The Business World Ethics has risen to the top of the business agenda because the risks associated with inappropriate behavior have increased, both in their likelihood and in their potential negative impact. Collapse of financial institutions due to unwise and unethical decision making over the approval of mortgages and lines of credit to unqualified individuals and organizations. Numerous US companies moving operations to 3rd world countries, where employees work in conditions that would not be acceptable in most developed parts of the world In today’s recessionary economic climate, organizations are extremely challenged to maintain revenue and profits. Risk is the product of multiplying the likelihood of an event by the impact of its occurrence Risks associated with inappropriate behavior have increased due to Globalization Heightened vigilance by Employees 18 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING Shareholders Regulatory agencies Scandals in IT companies WorldCom Qwest Communications International Inc. Adelphia Communications Corp. Computer Associates (CA)  Legal Overview: SOX - The Sarbanes-Oxley Act Enacted in response to public outrage over several major accounting scandals Section 404 requires that the CEO and CFO sign any SEC filing to attest to its accuracy Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) provides oversight for auditors of public companies IT organizations must build controls that ensure information stands up to audit scrutiny  Corporate Social Responsibility  Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is the concept that an organization should act ethically by taking responsibility for the impact of its actions on the environment, the community, and the welfare of its employees.  Setting CSR goals encourages an organization to achieve higher moral and ethical standards.  As highlighted in the opening vignette, Cisco is an example of an organization that has set and achieved several CSR goals for itself, and as a result, is recognized as a highly ethical company.  Supply chain sustainability is a component of CSR that focuses on developing and maintaining a supply chain that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs  Why Fostering Good Business Ethics Is Important Organizations have at least five good reasons for pursuing CSR goals and for promoting a work environment in which employees are encouraged to act ethically when making business decisions: – To gain the goodwill of the community – To create an organization that operates consistently – To produce good business – To protect the organization and its employees from legal action – To avoid unfavorable publicity 19 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING  Gaining the Goodwill of the Community Basic responsibilities to society Declared in a formal statement of the company’s principles or beliefs Include: – Making contributions to charitable organizations and non-profit institutions – Providing benefits for employees above legal requirements – Choosing economic opportunities that might be more socially desirable than profitable – Goodwill that socially responsible activities create can make it easier for corporations to conduct business  Creating an Organization That Operates Consistently Many business values include: Operating with honesty and integrity, staying true to corporate principles Operating according to standards of ethical conduct, in words and action Treating colleagues, customers, and consumers with respect Striving to be the best at what matters most to the company Accepting personal responsibility for actions Valuing diversity Making decisions based on facts and principles 20 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING  Good Ethics Can Mean Good Business Produce safe and effective products – Avoid costly recalls and lawsuits Provide excellent service – Maintain customers Develop and maintain strong employee relations – Suffer less turnover – Enjoy better employee morale Suppliers and other business partners prefer companies that operate in a fair and ethical manner Bad ethics can lead to bad business results  Protecting the Corporation and Its Employees from Legal Actions – U.S. Justice Department sentencing guidelines suggest more lenient treatment for convicted executives if their companies had ethics programs – Fines for criminal violations can be lowered by up to 80 percent if the organization has implemented an ethics management program and cooperates with authorities  Avoiding Unfavourable Publicity – Public reputation of a company strongly influences Value of its stock How consumers regard products and services Degree of oversight received from government agencies Amount of support and cooperation received from business partners  Improving Corporate Ethics Risks of unethical behavior are increasing Improvement of business ethics is becoming more important  Appointing a Corporate Ethics Officer Corporate ethics definition includes – Ethical conduct – Legal compliance – Corporate social responsibility Corporate ethics officer – Is a senior-level manager – Provides vision and direction in the area of business conduct – Tries to establish an environment that encourages ethical decision making Responsibilities include: – Complete oversight of the ethics function – Collecting and analyzing data – Developing and interpreting ethics policy – Developing and administering ethics education and training – Overseeing ethics investigations 21 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING  Ethical Standards Set by Board of Directors Board responsible for supervising management team Directors of the company are expected to – Conduct themselves according to the highest standards of personal and professional integrity – Set standard for company-wide ethical conduct – Ensure compliance with laws and regulations Establishing a Corporate Code of Ethics Code of ethics: – Highlights an organization’s key ethical issues – Identifies overarching values and principles important to an organization – Focuses employees on areas of ethical risk – Cannot gain company-wide acceptance unless Developed with employee participation Fully endorsed by the organization’s leadership – Must continually be applied to the company’s decision making Corporate Satisfaction with their Codes of Ethics  Conducting Social Audits Social audit – Identifies ethical lapses committed in the past – Sets directives for avoiding similar missteps in the future  Requiring Employees to Take Ethics Training Comprehensive ethics education program encourages employees to act responsibly and ethically – Often presented in small workshop formats Principle-based decision making is based on principles in the corporate code of ethics  Including Ethical Criteria in Employee Appraisals Some companies base a portion of employee performance evaluations on: 22 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING – Treating others fairly and with respect – Operating effectively in a multicultural environment – Accepting personal accountability – Continually developing themselves and others – Operating openly and honestly with suppliers, customers, and other employees  When Good Ethics Result in Short-Term Losses Operating ethically does not always guarantee business success Organizations that operate outside the United States – Deal with a “business as usual” climate – Are placed at a significant competitive disadvantage Hope good ethics will prove to be good business in the long term Creating an Ethical Work Environment Good employees sometimes make bad ethical choices May be encouraged to do “whatever it takes” to get the job done Employees must have a knowledgeable and potent resource available to discuss perceived unethical practices  Ethical Considerations in Decision Making The decision making process further and point out where and how ethical considerations and need to be brought into the process. 1. Develop a problem statement 2. Identify alternatives 3. Evaluate and choose an alternative 4. Implement decision 5. Evaluate results  Develop a Problem Statement - A problem statement is a clear, concise description of the issue that needs to be addressed. A good problem statement answers the following questions: - What do people observe that causes them to think there is a problem? - Who is directly affected by the problem? - Is anyone else affected? - How often does the problem occur? - What is the impact of the problem? - How serious is the problem? - It is the most critical step, without a clear and correct statement of the problem, the decision will not solve the problem - Gather and analyze facts - Make no assumptions - Identify stakeholders affected by the decision 23 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING  Identify Alternatives - During this stage of decision making, it is ideal to enlist the help of others, including stakeholders, to identify several alternative solutions to the problem. Brainstorming with others will increase your chances of identifying a broad range of alternatives and determining the best solution. - During any brainstorming process, try not to be critical of ideas, as any negative criticism will tend to shut down the discussion, and the flow of ideas will dry up. Simply write down the ideas as they are suggested. -  Evaluate and Choose an Alternative - Once a set of alternatives has been identified, the group must evaluate them based on numerous criteria, such as effectiveness at addressing the issue, the extent of risk associated with each alternative, cost, and time to implement. - As part of the evaluation process, weigh various laws, guidelines, and principles that may apply. - Also consider the likely consequences of each alternative from several perspectives: What is the impact on you, your organization, other stakeholders (including your suppliers and customers), and the environment  Implement the Decision - Once an alternative is selected, it should be implemented in an efficient, effective, and timely manner. This is often much easier said than done because people tend to resist change. In fact, the bigger the change, the greater the resistance to it. Communication is the key to helping people accept a change. - It is imperative that someone whom the stakeholders trust and respect answer the following questions: Why are we doing this? What is wrong with the current way we do things? What are the benefits of the new way for you?  Evaluate the Results 24 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING - After the solution to the problem has been implemented, monitor the results to see if the desired effect was achieved, and observe its impact on the organization and the various stakeholders. Were the success criteria fully met? Were there any unintended consequences? This evaluation may indicate that further refinements are needed. If so, return to develop a problem statement step, refine the problem statement as necessary, and work through the process again. Ethics in Information Technology Public concern about the ethical use of information technology includes: – E-mail and Internet access monitoring – Peer-to-peer networks violation of copyright – Unsolicited e-mail – Hackers and identity theft – Plagiarism – Cookies and spyware The general public has not realized the critical importance of ethics as applied to IT Important technical decisions are often left to technical experts General business managers must assume greater responsibility for these decisions They must be able to make broad-minded, objective, ethical decisions based on technical savvy, business know-how, and a sense of ethics They must also try to create a working environment in which ethical dilemmas can be discussed openly, objectively, and constructively. Let’s Do It! Self- Assessment Questions (AA2) : Answer the following questions. 1. You’re on a first date and things are going well. At the end of dinner, your waiter hands you the check. After reviewing your tab, you realize the appetizer you ordered wasn’t included on your bill. What do you do? A. Ignore the waiter’s oversight and tip based on the total listed on the bill. B. Don’t say anything but leave a larger tip than you normally would. C. Use the money you saved on the appetizer to take your date out for ice cream. D. Bring the oversight to your waiter’s attention. 2. At the end of an important meeting, your boss turns to you and compliments the suggestion you had for streamlining the reporting process. The idea came 25 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING from a co-worker who shared it with you over lunch last week. What would you do? A. Say thank you and leave it at that. B. Explain that you appreciate her compliment but must admit that you had some help from your co-worker. C. Shrug it off confidently saying, “There’s plenty more where that came from.” D. Tell her that you can’t take credit because it was your co-worker’s idea, but you agree it’s a great one, which is why you brought it up in the meeting 3. Utilitarianism is an approach to ethics that means – A. Whatever does the best for the most number of people is best. B. Fairness is the fundamental aspect of ethical conduct and people in a dispute should look at the situation outside of their vested interests. C. Journalists often face conflicts among ethical principles in the course of their work and must often make difficult decisions. D. Not all ethical precepts can be applied in all situations, but they do provide useful guidelines for media professionals in the behavior. 4. Which of the following questions should NOT be asked during the step of identifying an ethical problem? A. What is the problem? B. What can we learn from this process? C. What causes the problem? D. Who is involved? E. What are some ways of promoting technology ethics in the classroom? F. Providing students with internet search rules G. mplementing website security controls H. Emplacing that not all websites are reliable I. All of the answers are correct. 5. The crime obtaining goods, services, or property through deception or trickery. A. Vices B. Email spam C. Spyware D. Fraud 6. If you believe in making decisions for the good of most people, you can be described as following which school of thought? A. Moral principles B. Individualism C. Human rights D. Utilitarianism 7. Which of the following statements most accurately describe the nature of an ethical issue in business? A. Ethical issues are difficult because the results of a decision are hard to predict. B. Ethical issues can be resolved if you do what you think is right 26 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING C. Ethical issues can be resolved by following the guidance of religious beliefs. D. Ethical issues are difficult because all the choices may do some harm. 8. Decision-making in professional practice and ethical practice A. Involves very different methodologies. B. Involves a similar strategy and process C. Should be left to supervisors and administrators. D. Should be considered separate issues. 9. Why does an individual use the process of ethical decision making? A. To make a decision guided by your morals B. To make a decision guided by federal law C. To make a decision guided by society’s mores D. To make a decision guided by ethical principles and values Closure Wow!!! Well-done my dear student! You probably did great for this lesson. You have got lots of things about Ethics and its legal aspect in computing. Now, you’re able to proceed to the next lesson. Gender, Ethics and Information Technology Introduction This lesson will introduce you to the gender dimension of ethics. This lesson aims to increase students’ awareness of how even implicit or unconscious gender-based prejudices and biases prevent individuals from leading an ethical life. Also, discuss different forms of gender-based discrimination suffered and violence throughout the world. Objectives: o Explain and understand why business ethics is becoming increasingly important as well as the Gender Dimensions of Ethics. o Discuss why trends have increased the risk of using information technology unethically and gender biases. Let’s Get Started! This activity is to raise awareness of gender stereotyping in our thinking. Read out the following list and then put a heart beside the word if you think it’s a girl thing and circle if you think it’s a boy thing. 1. Burping and Farting 3. Dancing 2. Rescuing 4. Teacher 27 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING 5. Cooking 13. Blue 6. Pink 14. Cleaning 7. Doctor 15. Lawyer 8. Nurse 16. Engineer 9. Cars 17. Set of spanners 10. A six pack 18. Computer programmer 11. Diet drink 19. Red 12. Scientist 20. Glitter Let’s Think About it! 1. Why do you think there was so much agreement? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 2. Where do these ideas come from? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 3. Is it true that these are just girls or boy’s things? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 4. Where are these answers coming from? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Let’s Explore! What do I mean by gender? - Gender refers to the roles, behaviors, activities, attributes, and opportunities that any society considers appropriate for girls and boys, and women and men. Gender interacts with, but is different from, the binary categories of biological sex. - Gender has implications for health across the course of a person’s life in terms of norms, roles, and relations. It influences a person’s risk-taking and health-seeking behaviors, exposure to health risks, and vulnerability to diseases. Gender shapes everyone’s experience of health care, in terms of affordability, access and use of services and products, and interaction with healthcare providers. - Gender intersects with other factors that drive inequalities, discrimination, and marginalization, such as ethnicity, socioeconomic status, disability, age, geographic location, and sexual orientation, among others. (World Health Organization) 28 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING  What are the differences between Sex and Gender? Source: https://www.genderbread.org/ Sex Gender Biological Socially constructed roles, (Penis, vagina, ovaries, testes, responsibilities, behaviors uterus, etc.) Universal Cultural (Factors relates to sex are the (Elements related to gender vary same around the world-men within and between cultures; the have penises and women have roles of men and women in Kenya vaginas in every country) may be different from the roles of men and women in India or varies in every country. Born with Learned Behavior Generally unchanging Changes over time (Change is now possible with (In the past, few women became surgical intervention) lawyers or physicians; today it is very common to find women in these professions. 29 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING Gender Equality - Entails the concept that all human beings, both men and women, are free to develop their abilities and make choices without the limitation set by stereotypes, rigid gender roles, or prejudices. - Gender equality means that the different behaviors, aspirations, and needs of women and men are considered, valued, and favored equally. - It does not mean that women and men have to become the same, but that their rights, responsibilities, and opportunities will not depend on whether they are born male or female.  Gender Equity - Means fairness of treatment for women and men, according to their respective needs. - This may include equal treatment or treatment that is different but considered equivalent in terms of rights, benefits, obligations, and opportunities. - In the development context, a gender equity goal often requires built-in measures to compensate for the historical and social disadvantages of women.  Gender analysis - Is a tools/set of tools to assist in strengthening development planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and to make programs and projects more efficient and relevant - Gender analysis should go beyond cataloging differences to identifying inequalities and assessing relationships between women and men. - Gender analysis helps us to frame questions about women and men’s roles and relations to avoid making assumptions about who does what, when, and why? - Such analysis aims to formulate development interventions that are better targeted to meet both women’s and men’s needs and constraints. 30 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING  Empowerment - Implies people-both women and men-taking control over their lives by setting their agendas, gaining skills (or having their skills and knowledge recognized), increasing their self-confidence, solving problems, and developing self-reliance. - It is both a process and an outcome - Empowerment implies an expansion in women’s ability to make strategies for life choices in a context where this ability was previously denied to them.  Gender Mainstreaming - Is a strategy for making women’s, as well as men’s, concerns and experiences an integral dimension in the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of policies and programs in all political, economic, and social spheres so that women and men benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated. - The ultimate goal is to achieve gender equality. - Gender mainstreaming should be done in all areas and at all levels in society.  Approaches - Gender-neutral approaches do not account for the differences between women and men and do not consider how women and men may be marginalized and harmed or not benefits from research, programs, and policy. - Gender aware (or responsive) approaches are designed to meet both women’s and men’s needs. These approaches ensure that both women and men will benefit, and neither will be harmed by research, programs, and policy, such as, for example, by exacerbating their work burdens. - Gender transformative approaches actively strive to examine, question, and change rigid gender norms and the imbalance of power as a means of achieving development goals as well as meeting gender equity objectives. These research, programmatic, and policy approaches challenge the distribution of resources and allocation of duties between men and women. 31 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING Why gender?  Realities - Consistent gender disparities in access to and benefits from technology, services, and inputs across developing countries. - Participation in and benefits from markets: Low female membership in agricultural marketing cooperatives, lack of important information on prices for marketing system, etc. - Men and women are impacted differently by technologies, interventions, and other emerging threats such as climate change, HIV/AIDs on women. - Focus on gender can increase the productivity of agriculture and livestock systems, and improved food security and nutrition. - Findings have shown the importance of explicit focus on gender in promoting household poverty reduction. - Meaningful representation in both men and women's decision making and policy bodies, in management positions, in research and development is an important component of reducing gender inequalities.  What is Feminism? Feminism is a range of social movements, political movements, and ideologies that aim to define, establish, and achieve the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. What do I mean by feminism? - Quite simply, feminism is about all genders having equal rights and opportunities. - It’s about respecting diverse women’s experiences, identities, knowledge, and strengths, and striving to empower all women to realize their full rights. - It’s about leveling the playing field between genders, and ensuring that diverse women and girls have the same opportunities in life available to boys and men.  The contribution of feminist ethics - Feminist ethics (and related areas of feminist political and legal theory) may be useful additions to current theory in computer ethics in four ways. - This is because feminist ethics is a much more consciously political philosophy than many traditional ethical positions, as it is predicated on a recognition of inequalities between the genders and how to understand and lessen such inequalities. - The first offers hope in countering the technological determinism and liberalism which threaten to engulf much writing on morality and computers. In other words, the critical edge which is part of feminist ethics may be imported into computer ethics to question the supposed inevitability of technological progress and the social structures which are built on an acceptance of such progress. 32 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING - The second exposes continuing inequalities in power and describes how these may be understood as ‘gendered’. This involves a claim that the experiences of men and women are often substantially different and are different, in some measure, because of their respective genders and because of the ways that gendered attributes are understood and valued. For instance, privacy, and how it may differ for men and women, is a key concept, as I note below. Significantly, privacy links feminist ethics with feminist jurisprudence and politics. - The third aspect of this process involves offering an alternative, more collective, and caring approach to the individualism of the traditional ethical theories encapsulated in the styles of writing on computer ethics which are under scrutiny here. - Finally, I hope that the more collective, sharing approach signaled by feminist ethics may be brought to computer ethics to make thinking about computer ethics problems more relevant to a wider audience. As I argue in Chapter 4 this is vital to sustaining the link between moral thinking, policymaking, and the application of the law.  Feminist technoscience - keen to make the connection between feminist ethics, law and politics, and computer ethics, it is important to note the backcloth, which feminist science and technology studies or ‘technoscience’ forms, for studies such as mine. In other places, I review the development of this discipline, noting the obdurate nature of the association of masculinity with technology (Adam 1998). The mutual construction of masculinity and technological skill has been a constant theme of this domain, noted by many leading feminist technoscience writers (Faulkner 2000; Wajcman 2004).  Understanding IT and gender - Information Technology (IT) is male-dominated, both as a profession and an area of work and as a discipline and field of study (Adam 1995; Klawe & Levenson 1995). - This is nothing new: IT has been male-dominated for several years (Bratteteig & Verne 1997; Kvande & Rasmussen 1989). From time to time new initiatives aimed at increasing the number of women in computing are made (e.g. Camp 1995), but they do not seem to have the intended effects. The explanations for this can be many and may have less to do with the technology or the women, cf. the high percentage of women in technical areas in Malaysia (Mellström 2003). It is, however, interesting to take a closer look at IT and gender for adding pieces to the explanations of why women seem to not choose IT. 33 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING o Looking for gender aspects in informatics - Informatics is a broad discipline concerned with improving computer performances in hardware and software, as well as in applications tailored for particular functional areas. Informatics also includes human-computer interaction and information systems analysis and design; both are areas that include socio-cultural knowledge and skills. - The focus is also here on the computer – the IT – and this makes it difficult to both see and discuss gender aspects (Bratteteig & Verne 1997). We will end up with questions like Is software gendered? Will a female programmer write a piece of code differently – how – and why? What difference would it make? Are computer systems gendered? How can you tell? How could they be made differently, and what difference would that make? Do we want that? - To explore gender aspects of computer science, Bratteteig and Verne (1997) suggest analyzing the field based on Harding (1986)’s 5 research programs for gender studies in the sciences: 1) Equity studies: the fact that women in informatics are outnumbered by men in Norway and many other Western countries, 2) Studies of the uses and abuses of science and technology: - for IT and informatics such studies are normally carried out by social scientists, and studies of technology (ab)uses in female-dominated areas are taken to represent a feminist position (Cockburn 1983; 1985; Waldén 1994), 3) Critiques of the existence of pure science: a critique of the neutrality and objectivity of technology has a long tradition in Scandinavia (Nygaard 1986; Bjerknes & Bratteteig 1988; Bratteteig 2004). Studies of gendered informatics practices are also relevant here (Mörtberg 1997; Fletcher 1994), 4) Studies to reveal social, symbolic and structural meanings: in informatics, the culture of hackers and engineering (Turkle 1984; Hacker 1989; Wajkman 1994; Håpnes & Rasmussen 1991; Bratteteig 2002) 5) Epistemological inquiries to establish alternative understandings of knowledge: discussing whether an understanding of IT in informatics can be different from a different perspective (Bratteteig and Verne 1997). Who does IT? - As a prelude to the epistemology discussion, I would like to spend a few moments on equity (# 1), pointing to the fact that there are many women in computer science and have always been (Greenbaum 1976). There are of course more men than women, but there have been women in computing from the very start. Computing as a discipline was established in the 1970s, after some years of research on computing in engineering, physics, and mathematics. The Department of Informatics at The University of Oslo, for example, was established in 1977 by researchers from The Department of Mathematics (numerical analysis, operational analysis, and mathematical 34 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING verification of programs) and The Department of Physics (signal processing and electronics). - The new Department of Informatics aimed at a broad approach to informatics as a constructive discipline based on “studies of information processes in nature and society” (Nygaard 1986) and included courses about the social and political aspects of computing in the curriculum. The very first programmers were mostly women. Below are pictures of the programmers in the ENIAC team. The ENIAC: Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer was the first electronic computer used for general purposes. - Another, earlier woman was Ada Lovelace (see picture below), who is known for writing the description of the very first computer. Ada Lovelace is recognized for writing the first programs for Charles Babbage’s mechanical Analytical Engine in 1843. She was the first to understand the possibilities of the analytical engine, not yet possible to build I will also mention Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper (1906-1992) (see picture above). Grace Hopper invented the first compiler for a computer language (a compiler translates a computer program text to machine code): The A compiler in the early 1950s while working on UNIVAC I. She is even more well-known for her work on the programming language COBOL: Common Business-Oriented Language and its compiler. She was active working until she died in 1992. There are many stories about her and she is claimed to be the originator of the term “bug”: while she was working on a Mark II computer at Harvard University, her associates discovered a moth stuck in a relay, impeding operation. Hopper commented that removing the moth was “debugging” the system. My last pictures (below) show my colleague 35 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING Christina Mörtberg operating a computer system in Stockholm in 1972, starting the computer (left) and controlling the program (right). They illustrate that during several decades’ computers were really big machines and that today’s computers – the iPod, the mobile phone, the hand-held, mobile systems – may appeal to other people and other interests. There are women in all fields of informatics, but more women in multidisciplinary areas such as project management, user training, organizational change, design. These areas have lower wages and lower status – similar to the status of other fields concerned with clients and users (health care, schools). This may be changing as we see more technical development outsourced to countries with less expensive labor while user- oriented work cannot easily be outsourced. Cultural and social skills are being recognized as important as a prerequisite for designing the right solution and understanding the problem to be solved. 36 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING Let’s Do It! What can you say about this picture? Discuss briefly. ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Closure Wow!!! Well-done my dear student! You probably did great for this lesson. You have got lots of things about Gender, Ethics, and Information Technology. Now, you’re able to proceed to the next lesson. 37 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING Ethics for IT Professional and IT user’s Introduction This lesson will introduce you to the key characteristics that distinguish a professional, professional services industry, manage the IT worker relationship as well as the certification and licensing. Objectives: o Explain the key characteristics that distinguish a professional from other kinds of workers, and what the role of an IT professional is. o Articulate the relationships must an IT professional manage, and what key ethical issues can arise in each. o Discuss the concepts codes of ethics, professional organizations, certification, and licensing that affect the ethical behavior of IT professionals Let’s Get Started Using the clues provided below solve the following crossword puzzle. Across: 1. An organized association that oversees a profession. (10 letters, 4 letters) 2. Specialized knowledge and skills gained through learning and training. (9 letters) 3. Members of a profession need some of ___________ before they can perform their service. (13 letters) Down: 4. Freedom from influence from the public. (8 letters) 5. A set of ethical standards that need to be upheld. (4 letters, 2 letters, 6 letters) 38 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING Let’s Think About it! Consider the following questions: 1. What do you want to know about the Ethics for IT professionals and IT users? And why is it important for an aspiring IT Professional like you to learn about these Ethics? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________ 2. Have you experienced going to the computer repair shop? Did the IT professional or technician handle your computer problem well? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________ 3. Do you think there is much to learn in establishing relationships with IT users and IT practitioners in terms of Ethics? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________ 39 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING Let’s Explore! IT PROFESSIONALS A profession is a calling that requires specialized knowledge and often long and intensive academic preparation. Professionals: – Require advanced training and experience – Must exercise discretion and judgment in their work – Their work cannot be standardized – Contribute to society, participate in lifelong training, assist other professionals – Carry special rights and responsibilities  Are IT Workers Professionals? Many business workers have duties, backgrounds, and training that qualify them to be classified as professionals, including marketing analysts, financial consultants, and IT specialists such as mobile application developers, software engineers, systems analysts, and network administrators. One could argue, however, that not every IT role requires “knowledge of an advanced type in a field of science or learning customarily acquired by a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction and study,” to quote again from the United States Code. From a legal perspective, IT workers are not recognized as professionals because they are not licensed by the state or federal government. This distinction is important, for example, in malpractice lawsuits, as many courts have ruled that IT workers are not liable for malpractice because they do not meet the legal definition of a professional.  Professional Relationships That Must Be Managed IT workers typically become involved in many different relationships, including those with employers, clients, suppliers, other professionals, IT users, and society at large.  Relationships Between IT Workers and Employers IT workers agree on many aspects of work relationship before workers accept a job offer Other aspects of the working relationship defined in the company’s policy and procedure manual or code of conduct Some aspects develop over time As a steward of the organization’s IT resources, IT workers must set an example and enforce policies regarding the ethical use of IT in: Software piracy – Act of illegally making copies of software or enabling access to software to which they are not entitled 40 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING – The area in which IT workers can be tempted to violate laws and policies – The Business Software Alliance (BSA) is a trade group representing the world’s largest software and hardware manufacturers; mission is to stop the unauthorized copying of software – Thousands of cases prosecuted each year Relationships Between IT Workers and Clients IT worker provides: – Hardware, software, or services at a certain cost and within a given time frame Client provides: – Compensation – Access to key contacts – Workspace – The relationship is usually documented in contractual terms The client makes decisions about a project based on information, alternatives, and recommendations provided by the IT worker The client trusts IT worker to act in the client’s best interests IT worker trusts that client will provide relevant information, listen to and understand what the IT worker says, ask questions to understand the impact of key decisions, and use the information to make wise choices Ethical problems arise if a company recommends its products and services to remedy problems they have detected Creates a conflict of interest Problems arise during a project if IT workers are unable to provide full and accurate reporting of a project’s status Finger-pointing and heated discussions can ensue Fraud 41 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING – The crime of obtaining goods, services, or property through deception or trickery Misrepresentation – Misstatement or incomplete statement of material fact – If misrepresentation causes a party to enter into a contract, that party may have the right to cancel the contract or seek reimbursement for damages Breach of contract – One party fails to meet the terms of a contract – When there is a material breach of contract: The non-breaching party may rescind the contract, seek restitution of any compensation paid to the breaching party, and be discharged from any further performance under the contract – IT projects are joint efforts in which vendors and customers work together – When there are problems, it is difficult to assign who is at fault  Relationships Between IT Workers and Suppliers Develop good working relationships with suppliers: – To encourage flow of useful information and ideas to develop innovative and cost-effective ways of using the supplier in ways that the IT worker may not have considered – By dealing fairly with them – By not making unreasonable demands Bribery – Providing money, property, or favors to obtain a business advantage – U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA): crime to bribe a foreign official, a foreign political party official, or a candidate for foreign political office – At what point does a gift become a bribe? – No gift should be hidden – Perceptions of donor and recipient can differ – United Nations Convention Against Corruption is a global treaty to fight bribery and corruption  Relationships Between IT Workers and Other Professionals  Professionals feel a degree of loyalty to other members of their profession 42 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING  Professionals owe each other adherence to their profession’s code of conduct Ethical problems among the IT profession – Résumé inflation on 30% of U.S. job applications – Inappropriate sharing of corporate information Information might be sold intentionally or shared informally with those who do not need to know  Relationships Between IT Workers and IT Users IT user: person using a hardware or software product IT workers’ duties – Understand users’ needs and capabilities – Deliver products and services that meet those needs – Establish an environment that supports ethical behavior: To discourages software piracy To minimize inappropriate use of corporate computing resources To avoid inappropriate sharing of information  Relationships Between IT Workers and Society Society expects members of a profession: – To provide significant benefits – To not cause harm through their actions Actions of an IT worker can affect society Professional organizations provide codes of ethics to guide IT workers’ actions  Professional Codes of Ethics State the principles and core values that are essential to the work of an occupational group Most codes of ethics include: – What the organization aspires to become – Rules and principles by which members of the organization are expected to abide Many codes also include a commitment to continuing education for those who practice the profession Following a professional code of ethics can produce benefits for the individual, the profession, and society as a whole – Ethical decision making – High standards of practice and ethical behavior – Trust and respect from the general public – Evaluation benchmark for self-assessment  Professional Organizations No universal code of ethics for IT professionals No single, formal organization of IT professionals has emerged as preeminent Five of the most prominent organizations include: – Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) – Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Computer Society (IEEE-CS) – Association of IT Professionals (AITP) 43 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING – SysAdmin, Audit, Network, Security (SANS) Institute  Certification Indicates that a professional possesses a particular set of skills, knowledge, or abilities in the opinion of the certifying organization Can also apply to products Generally, voluntary May or may not require adherence to a code of ethics Employers view as a benchmark of knowledge Opinions are divided on the value of certification Vendor certifications – Some certifications substantially improve IT workers’ salaries and career prospects – Relevant for narrowly defined roles or certain aspects of broader roles – Require passing a written exam, or in some cases, a hands-on lab to demonstrate skills and knowledge – Can take years to obtain necessary experience – Training can be expensive Industry association certifications – Require a higher level of experience and a broader perspective than vendor certifications – Must sit for and pass the written exam – May need to pay the annual renewal fee, earn continuing education credits, and/or pass renewal test – Lag in developing tests that cover new technologies – Are moving from purely technical content to a broader mix of technical, business, and behavioral competencies –  Government Licensing License is government-issued permission to engage in an activity or operate a business Generally administered at the state level in the United States Often requires that recipient pass a test Some professionals must be licensed – doctors, lawyers, CPAs, medical and daycare providers, engineers One goal: protect public safety Case for licensing IT workers – Encourages following the highest standards of the profession – Encourages practicing a code of ethics – Violators would be punished Without licensing, there are no requirements for heightened care and no concept of professional malpractice Issues associated with government licensing of IT workers – There are few licensing programs for IT professionals No universally accepted core body of knowledge Unclear who should manage content and administration of licensing exams No administrative body to accredit professional education programs No administrative body to assess and ensure the competence of individual workers 44 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING  IT Professional Malpractice Negligence: not doing something that a reasonable person would do, or doing something that a reasonable person would not do Duty of care: obligation to protect people against any unreasonable harm or risk – Reasonable person standard – Reasonable professional standard Professional malpractice: professionals who breach the duty of care are liable for injuries that their negligence causes.  IT Users Employees’ ethical use of IT is an area of growing concern because of increased access to: – Personal computers – Corporate information systems and data – The Internet  Common Ethical Issues for IT Users Software piracy Inappropriate use of computing resources – Erodes productivity and wastes time – Could lead to lawsuits Inappropriate sharing of information, including: – Every organization stores vast amounts of private or confidential data Private data (employees and customers) Confidential information (company and operations)  Supporting the Ethical Practices of IT Users Policies that protect against abuses: – Set forth general rights and responsibilities of users – Create boundaries of acceptable behavior – Enable management to punish violators Policy components include: – Establishing guidelines for use of company software – Defining appropriate use of IT resources – Structuring information systems to protect data and information – Installing and maintaining a corporate firewall  Compliance To be by established policies, guidelines, specifications, and legislation – Sarbanes-Oxley – established requirements for internal controls – HIPAA – ensures security and privacy of employee healthcare data – Failure to be in conformance can lead to criminal or civil penalties and also lawsuits The major challenge to comply with multiple governments and industry regulations that are sometimes in conflict To meet this challenge: – Implement software to track and record compliance actions 45 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING – Hire management consultants for advice and training – Create a Chief Compliance Officer position The audit committee is a subset of the board of directors, with oversight for the following activities: – Quality and integrity of accounting and reporting practices and controls – Compliance with legal and regulatory requirements – Qualifications, independence, and performance of the organization’s independent auditor – Performance of the company’s internal audit team Let’s Do It! Self- Assessment Questions (AA2) : Answer the following: 1. It indicates that a professional possesses a particular set of skills, knowledge, or abilities, in the opinion of the certifying organization. A. Recognition B. License C. Warranty D. Certification 2. It is government-issued permission to engage in an activity or to operate a business. A. Recognition B. Government License C. Warranty D. Certification 3. It has been defined as not doing something that a reasonable person would do, or doing something that a reasonable person would not do. A. Breach of Duty of Care B. Negligence C. Professional Malpractice D. Fraud 4. Which two actions should a technician take if illegal content, such as child pornography, is discovered on the hard drive of a customer computer? Choose two. A. Confront the customer immediately B. Contact a first responder C. Shut down the computer until authorities arrive. D. Document as much information as possible 5. When performing computer forensics, what can be prevented with a proper and careful chain of custody? A. Copying of copyrighted materials B. Evidence tampering C. Cybercrime D. Identity theft 46 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING 6. During the process of troubleshooting, a technician gains access to customer private information. What is expected that the technician does with this information? A. Send this information to the manager of the customer B. Send this information to the technician manager C. Keep it confidential D. Document all information in a log file 7. Refer to the exhibit. During the troubleshooting of software that is installed on a computer system, a level one technician requires help from a level two technician. The file shown in the exhibit must be sent to the level two technician. How should the level one technician deliver this file? A. This file should not be shared with the level two technician B. Deliver the file in printed format only. C. Replace all passwords in the file before emailing the file and then supply the passwords by secure means, if required. D. Send the file as it is to the level two technician. 8. Which statement describes a best practice related to time management? A. The technician should make sure to call the customer back as close to the callback time as possible. B. The technician should take the easier calls first, regardless of the urgency. C. The technician should give better service to a customer for whom the technician feels more sympathy. D. The technician can take the call of another technician, even without permission to do so. 9. A customer calls to report a computer problem. Which two actions can the technician take to establish a good rapport with the customer? Choose two. A. Personalize the call by periodically asking questions unrelated to the computer problem. B. Use technical terms to determine the level of knowledge the customer possesses. C. All the customer to speak without interruption D. Refer to the customer by name whenever possible E. Ask only closed-ended questions. 10. What is the correct way to conduct a telephone call to troubleshoot a computer problem? 47 | P a g e IC 112 – PROFESSINAL ETHICS IN COMPUTING A. Always gather information from the customer and escalate the problem. B. Explain each step to help the customer understand the troubleshooting process. C. Ask personal questions to get better acquainted with the customer. D. Maintain professional behavior at all times. Closure Wow!!! Well-done my dear student! You probably did great for this lesson. You have got lots of things about Ethics for IT professionals and IT users. Now, you’re able to proceed to the next lesson. 48 | P a g e

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