Ethics & ICT

Professionalism

What do you think Ethics is?

Ethics

What is it? Greek ‘Ethos’ = Character

moral standards that help guide behaviour,

actions, and choices. Help resolve dilemmas.

grounded in the notion of responsibility (as free moral agents, individuals, organizations, and societies) and accountability (individuals, organizations, and society should be held accountable to others for the consequences of their actions).

Ethics and ICT

Dilemma in ICTs : useful, but have larger social

and ethical impact than the creators realized or

intended.

Ethical principles and

guidelines

ICT Professionalism

Cyber Threats

• Cyber-bullying

• Privacy and confidentiality

• Consistency – What we see today is as tomorrow

[no fake news or ephemerality]• Integrity [assuring data and

programmes cannot be

modified without proper

authority .

• Malicious ‘viral’ software

as “programmed threats”

Viruses (inserted into other computer programmes

as a piece of code which can copy itself, typically

intended to corrupt multiple systems or

manipulate/destroy data). e.g phishing

Worms can move from machine to machine, across

networks, and may have parts of themselves running

on different machines. The difference is that

a worm operates more or less independently of other files,

whereas a virus depends on a host program to spread itself.

Virus vs Worm comparisonComputer virus

Computer VirusHow does it

infect a

computer

system?

It inserts itself into a

file or executable

program.How can it

spread? It has to rely on users

transferring infected

files/programs to

other computer

systems.

Does it infect

files? Yes, it deletes or

modifies files. ?

Computer Worm

It exploits a weakness in an

application or operating

system by replicating itself.

It can use a network to

replicate itself to other

computer systems without

user intervention.

Usually not. Worms

usually only monopolize

the CPU and memory.

.

Threats (contd.)

• “Trojan horses”, which appear to be a legitimate

programme or App (e.g. a pseudo anti-virus, or

video downloader), but actually are doing

damage behind the scenes.

• Bacteria, which multiply

rapidly and fill up a

computer’s memory so that it

cannot function.

• Downloaded in error, emails

Computer Crimes

Embezzlement (fraud; stealing

data for undeserved profit)–

committed by trusted personnel

who have permission to use the

computer system, e.g. banks,

hospitals, social security, etc.

Computer security must also be concerned with

the actions of “trusted” computer users, who may

steal legitimate passwords, or use “logic bombs”

to crack the security protection.

Computer Crimes (contd.)

Hacking– to break into

someone’s computer system

without permission.

• Some hackers intentionally

steal data, or vandalise storage

• Some only “explore” the system and see what

files it contains. They argue they are freedom

fighters, “probing” for rip-offs by big

corporations or governments.

Computer Crimes (contd.)

“Cyber-sabotage is not a

‘prank,’” said John Stuart Bruce,

US Attorney for the Eastern

District of North Carolina. “It is

a very serious crime with real

victims and real costs. Thanks to

great work by the investigators

and prosecutor, Mr Das is being

held accountable for his criminal

acts.”

Computer Crimes (contd.)Hacking– Whether they steal and

damage files, or only “explore”,

the hackers remain unethical.

Only authorized government

agencies are legally allowed to

penetrate others’ computers.Article 70, sub-sections 1-9 of the Namibia Communications Act,

and the draft Electronic Transactions and Cybercrime Bill (revised in

2017, but not yet passed) empower government agencies – notably

the NCIS (Namibia Central Intelligence Service), and CRAN

(Communication Regulatory Authority of Namibia), to “access

without notification” private computer systems.

Cases of ICT “hacking”

Sony “Rootkit Scandal” of 2005

2013 South Korea cyberattack

2017 corruption of US military salary systems

“Legal hacking” under the Namibian

Communications Act, 2009

Questions for Discussion

In your opinion, was/is the “hacking”in your

particular case study ethical or “right”?

Is/Was it legal, in your opinion?

Is it possible for the hacking to be ethical, but

not legal? Or legal, but not ethical?

What does your answer to the third question

tell you about the difference or similarity

between ethics and the law?

Each student write notes from the discussions

Feedback

But freedoms are not absolute…

Article 13(1) of the Namibian Constitution:

“No persons shall be subject to interference with

the privacy of their homes, correspondence, or

communications, save as in accordance with law

and as is necessary in a democratic society in the

interests of national security, public safety or the

economic well-being of the country, for the

protection of health or morals, for the prevention

of disorder or crime, or for the protection of the

rights or freedoms of others”.

Is there a distinction

between Ethics and the

law?

Yes. The law is a statute passed by

Parliament, assented to by the President, and

enforceable by a recognized authority which

has legal powers to penalize those who do not

adhere.

Ethics is

On the other hand, ethics is a code of conduct

derived from reasoned reflection on action

and standards of action.

For Aristotle, resolvable debate

Both intellectual and moral virtues are

needed for us to achieve happiness

(eudaemonia)

Early Habituation + Critical

Reasoning

Intellectual virtues: these inform practice, and relate

particularly to our professions. They will differ for a

journalist, cook, driver, etc.

Moral virtue (ethike): The outcome of habit (ethos).

It is habit codified

Therefore, the law alone cannot inform our

moral or ethical choices.

Which are Crimes, which are

unethical, and which are both? Web site defacement or

vandalism

Denial of service attacks on websites and online services

Theft of customer data

Theft of electronic intellectual property

Theft of Internet & Telephone services

Sabotage of data or networks

Financial and On-line Securities Fraud

Forgery, illegal interception & ID Theft

Payment card fraud & e-funds transfer fraud

Pornography/Child Pornography; cyber-stalking

On-line Gaming/Betting

Commercial/Corporate Espionage

Extortion & criminal conspiracy communications

Disruption of essential or critical network services

Freedom of Expression

“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”

UN Universal Declaration

of Human Rights, Article 19

A Fundamental Right

But freedoms are not absolute…

Article 13(1) of the Namibian Constitution:

“No persons shall be subject to interference with

the privacy of their homes, correspondence, or

communications, save as in accordance with law

and as is necessary in a democratic society in the

interests of national security, public safety or the

economic well-being of the country, for the

protection of health or morals, for the prevention

of disorder or crime, or for the protection of the

rights or freedoms of others”.

Ethics-related Concepts

Morals

Principles ingrained from childhood

Conscience/Guilt

Feeling about right/wrong

Laws

Principles and regulations established and enforced in a community

Rights

Entitlements

Duties

Obligations

Natural laws: right to self-defense

Conventional laws: culture-dependent

Cultural vs professional principles