Security & Ethical Challenges Management Information Systems M. Muzaffar Zahoor
Aug 23, 2014
Security & Ethical Challenges
Management Information Systems
M. Muzaffar Zahoor
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Objectives
Identify ethical issues in how the use of information technologies in business affects employment, individuality, working conditions, privacy, crime, health, and solutions to societal problems.
Ethical Responsibility of Business Professionals
To promote ethical use of information technology in workplace.
To make decisions about business activities and use of IT under consideration of ethical dimensions.
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Ethical Responsibility of Business Professionals(continued)
Business Ethics Managers must confront numerous ethical
questions concerned with Business Ethics. Basic categories of ethical issues
Intellectual property rights. Consumer & employee privacy. Security of company information. Workplace safety
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Technology Ethics Another important ethical dimension Four principles serve as basic ethical
dimension Proportionality:
Good must outweigh any harm or risk Must be no alternative that achieves the same or
comparable benefits with less harm or risk
Ethical Responsibility of Business Professionals(continued)
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Technology Ethics (continued) Informed consent
Those affected should understand and accept the risks
Justice Benefits and burdens of technology should be
distributed fairly Minimized Risk
Even if judged acceptable by the other three guidelines, the technology must be implemented so as to avoid all unnecessary risk
Ethical Responsibility of Business Professionals(continued)
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Ethical Guidelines Business and IS professionals should
follows: Acting with integrity. Increasing your professional competence. Setting high standards of personal performance. Accepting responsibility for your work. Advancing the health, privacy and general
welfare of the public.
Ethical Responsibility of Business Professionals(continued)
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Computer Crime
Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP) definition includes The unauthorized use, access,
modification, and destruction of hardware, software, data, or network resources
Unauthorized release of information
Unauthorized copying of software
Who commits computer crime?
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Hacking The obsessive use of
computers, or the unauthorized access and use of networked computer systems
Cyber Theft Involves unauthorized
network entry and the fraudulent alteration of computer databases
Computer CrimeList of Top 20 Countries with the highest
rate of Cybercrime (source: Business Week/Symantec
Source: http://www.enigmasoftware.com/top-20-countries-the-most-cybercrime/
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Computer Crime (continued)
Unauthorized use at work Also called time and resource theft May range from doing private
consulting or personal finances, to playing video games, to unauthorized use of the Internet on company networks
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Computer Crime (continued)
Theft of intellectual property Other forms of
intellectual property covered by copyright laws Music, videos and
images Articles & books Other written works
Software Piracy Unauthorized
copying of software Software is
intellectual property protected by copyright law and user licensing agreements
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Computer Crime (continued)
Computer viruses and worms Virus
A program that cannot work without being inserted into another program
Worm A distinct program that can run unaided
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Computer Crime (continued)
Adware and Spyware Adware
A software serve useful and fulfilling function that allows internet advertisers to display advertisements as banners and pop-up ads without consent of the computer user.
Collects information about the user for website owner.
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Computer Crime (continued)
Adware and Spyware (continued) Spyware
Special class of Adware Any software that utilize user’s Internet
connection in the background without their knowledge and explicit permission.
Collects address, internet surfing habits to credit card, user name, passwords and other personal information.
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Privacy Issues
IT makes it technically and economically feasible to collect, store, integrate, interchange, and retrieve data and information quickly and easily. Benefit – increases efficiency and
effectiveness But, may also have a negative effect on
individual’s right to privacy
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Privacy Issues (continued)
Privacy on the Internet Users of the Internet are
highly visible and open to violations of privacy
Unsecured with no real rules Cookies capture information
about you every time you visit a site
That information may be sold to third parties
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Privacy Issues (continued)
Privacy on the Internet (continued) Protect your privacy by
Encrypting your messages Post to newsgroups through anonymous
remailers Ask your ISP not to sell your information to
mailing list providers and other marketers Decline to reveal personal data and interests
online
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Privacy Issues (continued)
Privacy laws Attempt to enforce the privacy of
computer-based files and communications
Electronic Communications Privacy Act Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
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Privacy Issues (continued)
Computer Libel and Censorship The opposite side of the privacy debate
Right to know (freedom of information) Right to express opinions (freedom of
speech) Right to publish those opinions (freedom of
the press) Spamming (un solicited e-mails) Flaming (vulgar e-mails)
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Other Challenges
Employment New jobs have been created and
productivity has increased, yet there has been a significant reduction in some types of jobs as a result of IT.
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Other Challenges (continued)
Computer Monitoring Concerns workplace privacy
Monitors individuals, not just work Is done continually. May be seen as violating
workers’ privacy & personal freedom Workers may not know that they are being
monitored or how the information is being used
May increase workers’ stress level May rob workers of the dignity of their work
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Other Challenges (continued)
Working Conditions IT has eliminated
many monotonous, obnoxious tasks, but has created others
Individuality Computer-based
systems criticized as impersonal systems that dehumanize and depersonalize activities
Regimentation
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Health Issues
Job stress Muscle damage Eye strain Radiation exposure Accidents Some solutions
Ergonomics (human factors engineering) Goal is to design healthy work environments
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Societal Solutions
Internet and other information technologies can have many beneficial effects on society. Use of information technology in: Medical diagnosis Computer-assisted instruction Governmental program planning Environmental quality control Law enforcement
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THANK YOU