IT Ethics

---

Goals

• Define computer security, ethics, and privacy
• Identify the role of organizational culture in ethics
• Identify the role of government regulations in ethics
• Discuss the role of professional associations and ethics standards in the IT profession

Definitions

Ethics are the morals that individuals and organizations abide by.

Character-based ethics (also known as virtue ethics) argues that good behavior is not the result of applying identifiable rules (regulations), but is instead a natural consequence of good character.

consequence-based, duty-based, and contract-based, suggest that ethical dilemmas are resolved by considering consequences, duties, and contracts.

Key Concepts

• Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics
• Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics
• The Ethical Culture of an Organization
• Privacy
  • CIA Triad

Information Technology Law Organizations and Resources

Multiple organizations and agencies are dedicated to represent and protect individuals from computer crimes and abuse of technology. Some of these organizations include the following:

• Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR)
• Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
• Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS)
• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
• National Security Agency (NSA)

US Federal IT Regulations

• Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA)
• Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) of 1986
• Communication Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) of 1994
• Anti-cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA)
• Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA)
• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
• Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
• Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DCMA)
• Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act (CMPPA)
• Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
• Breach Notification Laws