IS/IT Ethics

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IS/IT Ethics

• Jenny Cauble
• Scotty Sykes
• Ashley Cox

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Ethics Today

• Comparison of ethics in other professions to
  ethics in IT
• IT is a relatively new field
• Ethical situations in the present

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Ethics Defined
Ethics A rational process founded on certain
principles

• Independent
• Objective
• Honest
• Impartial
• Fair
• Integrity

• Understanding
• Trustworthy
• Morals/Values
• Respect
• Responsibility
• Citizenship

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IT Ethics Defined

• Cyberethics (IT/IS Ethics) The study of moral,
  legal, and ethical issues involving the use of
  information and communication technologies.
• IT personnel have access to confidential
  information- this power can be abused
• Bilal Azmat Cyberethics (Information System
  Ethics)

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Why are ethics important in IT?

• Issues to Overcome
• Privacy
• Accuracy
• Property
• Accessibility
• Bilal Azmat Cyberethics (Information System
  Ethics)

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ISACA Code of Conduct

• 6 Main Ethical Standards
• Organizations are not required to be members of
  ISACA
• ISACA Code of Professional Ethics

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Due Professional Care

• Level of diligence that a prudent and competent
  expert would exercise under a given set of
  circumstances.
• Requires an IT auditor to exercise the same level
  of skill that would be expected from other
  practitioners of this specialty
• ISACA G7 Due Professional Care

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Due Professional Care (Cont.)

• Foundation for Due Professional Care
• Peer Review
• Technical Competence
• Auditor Conduct
• Judgment
• Business Knowledge
• Certification
• Standards
• ISACA G7 Due Professional Care

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Ethical Scenarios

• 1) You are the entire information technology
  department for a small firm with 20 employees.
  The president of the company believes some of the
  employees are spending far too much time on the
  Internet doing tasks not related to work. The
  president asks you to start monitoring employees
  Internet usage without their knowledge, something
  you could easily do from a technological
  standpoint.
• What do you do?
• A. Start monitoring employees email and Web
  usage, as the president has asked
• B. Suggest that an acceptable Internet-use
  policy be developed
• C. Talk to employees and tell them what the
  president has in mind so theyll change their
  habits
• Monster.com

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Ethical Scenarios

• 2) Carrie, an employee at an accounting firm,
  tells her colleague, Phil, that she found
  something during her work on an engagement that
  she believes is a problem. The client has
  dismissed the issue and asked her to trust him
  on this one. Furthermore, her Senior Manager on
  the engagement has been focused on finishing the
  engagement and has not addressed her concern.
• What should Carrie do?
• A. Let the issue go. She was rejected the first
  time she raised it so it must not be a big deal
• B. Avoid going around her Senior Manager at all
  costs. If she angers him, she may get a poor
  evaluation or reputation as a troublemaker
• C. Consult with another superior, the Engagement
  Partner
• D. Report her concern using one of the firms
  channels of communication
• KPMG, LLP

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Consequences

• Loss of Job
• Prison
• Loss of reputation
• Loss of certifications

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Conclusion

• Where do you think we will be in 10 years with
  regard to IT ethics?
• http//www.cnbc.com/id/27305287

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• Do the right thing. It will gratify some
• people and astonish the rest.
• -Mark Twain