Ethics For IT Prof.

Ethics for Information Technology 

Introduction

Information technology has produced new ethical challenges and concerns in dealing with issues about privacy, security, piracy and professional ethics. Contemporary Issues in Ethics and Information Technology discusses these issues as well as other important ethical issues such as the outsourcing of high-level jobs and the value of IT itself. The main framework for ethical problems used in Contemporary Issues in Ethics and Information Technology is derived from the work of the late philosopher John Rawls. Rawls contribution to ethics was a theory of justice rooted in the social contract theory of the Declaration of Independence and the U. S. Constitution. The authors discussion of the value of IT also builds on the views of the philosopher, Martin Heidegger, on modern technology as an independent force in human existence with its own point-of-view. This book provides guidance for IT professionals and users for practical ethical problems. http://avaxsearch.com/?q=Contemporary%20Piracy%20

information technology resources to allow faculty, staff, and students to pursue the University’s educational mission, which includes teaching, learning, service, research and administration. Thus, Information Technology Resources (“IT Resources”), as defined in this policy, must be used in a manner that furthers the University’s mission.

Any access or use of information technology resources that conflicts with this Information Technology Resources Policy (“Policy” or “IT Policy”) or any other University policy is not acceptable and will be considered a violation of this Policy. Additionally any activity that interferes, interrupts, compromises, or conflicts with the safe and efficient use of IT Resources is considered a violation of this Policy.

This Policy shall apply to all Users including, but not limited to, students, employees (faculty and staff), guests, affiliates, vendors and independent contractors. Use of IT Resources, even when carried out on a privately owned computer that is not managed or maintained by the University, is governed by this Policy.

This Policy supersedes any existing policies and procedures that are in conflict with the terms of this Policy. http://sites.jcu.edu/deanofstudents/pages/community-standards/information-technology-ethics/

The use of information technology in

society is creating a rather unique set of ethical

issues that requires the making of new moral choices

on the part of society and has spawned special

implications for its members. Technology itself is

not the only, nor necessarily the most responsible,

cause of these issues. All ethical questions arise initially

out of human agency. Technology, due to its

capability to augment mental and physical powers of

human beings, does stand in the role of a coconspirator.

The lure of power-enhancing capabilities

makes technology an inducer of sorts, a necessary

but not sufficient underpinning to many of the ethical

issues we face today.

An ethical issue is said to arise whenever one

party in pursuit of its goals engages in behavior that

materially affects the ability of another party to pursue

its goals. When the effect is helpful—good,

right, just—we say the behavior is praiseworthy or

exemplary. When, however, the effect is harmful—

bad, wrong, unjust—the behavior is unethical. This

purposeful theory of ethics is reflected in the issues

discussed in these articles. For example, email and

being online are applications of information technology,

the lure of which is based on their ability to

expand the scope, range, speed, and ease of interpersonal

and corporate communications.

Useful as they are, the schemes and the manifold

of issues addressed leave one question unanswered:

What moral guidance can be provided to the agents

whose behavior create these issues? And, this question

leads to others: How should the many knowledge

workers, systems analysts, programmers,

hardware designers, authors, executives, and so

forth, who set in motion the actions which bring

these issues to the fore, guide their own behavior?

Knowing their technology-based actions will intercede

in the course of human affairs, how should they

direct them? The crucial point occurs when a moral

agent—one that by definition has choices—decides

to change the state of information or information

technology in a human system. Changes in hardware,

software, information content, information flow,

knowledge-based jobs, and the rules and regulations

affecting information are among the many things

agents do that affect others. I call these crucial juncture

points moments-of-truth. If those of us who make

decisions in any of these areas are to behave ethically,

we must be able to identify the significant momentsof-

truth in which we participate and be able to reflect

on the effects of our actions. We must use our moral

imagination to guide our choices so that we can contribute

positively toward making the kind of ethical

world in which we want to live and want to bequeath

to our future generations.

How can we do this? The ACM Code of Ethics,

as well as the schemes and other articles in this special

section provide initial grist for the mill. More fundamental,

however, is our conscience, aided by our

understanding and expertise in information technology.

If we have an inkling our behavior as information

professionals might in some way harm others, we

probably should examine our decisions a little more

carefully and from an ethical point-of-view.

  ---Richard O. Mason

New information technologies, once mastered, can save time, contribute to efficiencies, and

improve service. They are a benefit to lawyers and their clients.

These Guidelines recommend best practices in the use of information technologies. This is

not a set of mandatory rules. For those, please refer to your governing body’s code of

professional conduct.

These Guidelines supplement the CBA Code of Professional Conduct and, in doing so, to

assist lawyers when they use new technologies.

The Guidelines highlight best practices when using an information technology, with

emphasis on the need to preserve the security of information and to maintain client

confidentiality and privacy.

One striking element of information technologies is the rapid speed at which they are being

integrated into our work and world, and the haste with which some of them become obsolete

and are discarded.

Inevitably, courts are being called on to make decisions about a lawyer’s ethical and legal

responsibilities in response to the technology revolution. Some recent decisions have held

that lawyers, in some circumstances, have an ethical obligation to use new technologies or, at

least, have access to someone who can.

The Ethics and Professional Issues Committee will update these Guidelines regularly so that

they remain relevant and useful to practitioners. We would appreciate your help. Please tell

us if we have overlooked anything and make suggestions for resources or other information

that need to be added to the Guidelines. http://www.cba.org/cba/activities/pdf/guidelines-eng.pdf

Getting the Morally Relevant Facts

The facts of an ethical situation can be summarized

by four factors. The first factor is to clearly identify

the moral agent. Whose actions will bring about the

technology-induced change? The frameworks and

discussions presented here will be helpful because

they point to a variety of possible forms of agency.

The next factor is the set of alternative courses-of-

action available to the agent. These are the realworld

acts that will have an effect on the human system

under consideration. Acts have consequences,

hence the third factor: a delineation of the results

that are expected to occur if each act is taken. Finally,

it is essential to identify the stakeholders who will be

affected by the consequences of the acts. A stakeholder

is any individual, group, organization, or

institution that can affect as well as be affected by an

agent’s actions. In a word, stakeholders have an

interest in what an agent does. These four factors—

agent, acts, results and stakeholders—are the

basic facts from which an ethical analysis proceeds.

Ethics for IT Professionals/Professional Code of Ethics

Ethical codes can fill in the gaps in which laws and regulation fail to reach or simply can not be applied. Most professions have an ethical codes in which they must follow. Those codes signifies or states what they hold most dear. For example CPA'S and doctors each have a code of ethics that represent each of their professions values and principles.

Most IT Professionals, unlike Doctor's and other professionals, do not have a general rule making body, they may have many professional organizations specialized to specific groups.

• Association of Information Technology Professionals(AITP)
• Independent Computer Consultants (ICCA)
• Information Systems Security Association (ISSA)
• Association for Computer Operations Management(AFCOM)
• Computing Technology Industry Association(CompTIA)

In fact the existence of these bodies signify a lack of respect for ethics in society in general, requiring not only the validation of this types of bodies but also rely on their power to enforce sanctions when ethical violation occur. Something that could be well covered by the state and the academia.

It can be argued that these ruling bodies should be in fact unnecessary, since ethical considerations do not depend on ones profession, even if very specific considerations can seem restricted in the function they will be shared by another professions. It could also be stated that this is a function of the state and the legal system, that delegating these functions in non governmental, even if public organizations, is detrimental to the public good, and overall block to transparency of procedures. These bodies will also promote the exertion of corporative influence toward their specific groups interests, one such interest is reducing competition by limiting or increase the difficulty of access to functions and a general increase in prices since they permit a coordinated fixing of payments in a monopolistic way and promote the practice of obtaining special treatment and recognition for those that depend on their specific activities.http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Ethics_for_IT_Professionals/Professional_Code_of_Ethics

Ethics for IT Professionals/What Is Ethics

1 What is Ethics, Morals and Laws

2 Ethics Within Business

2.1 Corporate Policies

3 IT Ethics

3.1 Laws and IT

What is Ethics, Morals and Laws

Dickson (2014, Rundu Campus) indicated that ethics are a set moral principles that govern a persons or groups behavior. When someone is behaving ethically they conform to generally accepted practices of a society or group. Most ethically acceptable practices are universal such as.

Each society as a set of rules the set boundaries for accepted behavior, these rules are often expressed in statements about how you should behave. These statements come together to form a moral code in which a society live by. Morals are ideas held about right and wrong or values, these ideas sometime come into conflict with one another.

According to Dickson (October 19, 2013)behavior (morals) follows values (manners) contributes to the stability of society. Everyone works within their own moral code, this means you act with integrity. Laws on the other hand are a system of rules that society imposes individuals that define whether or not one is allowed to do something. Institutions like law enforcement enforce laws. Laws may or may not follow the moral code for individuals or ethical considerations.

Ethics Within Business

Enron Complex

The corporate world has begun promoting ethics in the work place after major corporate scandals like WorldCom, Tyco and Enron. In order to be viewed credible by the public many companies have created a position called Corporate Ethics Officer or Corporate Compliance Officer who ensure ethical procedures, created and adhered to by everyone in the organizations. This decision may help the company gain goodwill and favorable publicity and protect the organization from legal action and foster ethical practices with the organization, or they may be only a public relations scheme to elude the public and avoid legislative interference that would make them comply to specific regulations.

Corporate Policies

In order to combat the recent corporate scandals and protect the companies reputation, companies have begun form more comprehensive corporate policies concerning ethics. These policies generally offers guidance to employees as well as stating the companies expectations. In order to work companies may require employees to sign a contract stating they will follow the procedures stated within the handbook.Many companies have begun to explore why employees would behave unethically.

Information Technology and Ethics/IT Specialist

It specialist as professionals

IT specialist such as programmers, system analyst, software engineers and database administrators, are not considered professionals like CPA's or Doctors.They are not recognized as professionals because they are not licensed by the federal or state government.And also some IT roles do not require "advanced knowledge of an advanced type in a field of science or learning customarily acquired knowledge by prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction and study".Even though they are not legally viewed as professionals, in the service industry they are viewed as professionals.Major scandals have forced law makers to enact tougher laws such as Sarbanes - Oxley. This has created a situation where services provided to client's are now more closely supervised .

Since IT workers are part of the service industry they are required to follow.Since clients are more aware of what they want and need from IT workers they are willing to look outside their companies.This makes the IT service industry more competitive because clients are able to choose service providers from around the world that would provide them with the best service for the least amount of money.Clients are now more aware of the world around them and are more frequently asking to see the work-in-progress as it happens.They will no longer wait to see the end product because they want to be able to weigh in on the project as it happens.Since clients are more sophisticated they are now able to breakdown the way their business operates, and are able to decide whether or not to outsource certain aspects of their business. http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Information_Technology_and_Ethics/IT_Specialist

Confidentiality Best Practices

The Code principles apply to all forms of communication, including electronic

communication using new information technologies. ITmust display the same care and

concern for confidential matters regardless of the information technology being used.

IT must ensure that electronic communications with or about a client are secure and

not accessible to unauthorized individuals. When communicating confidential information to

or about a client, IT should employ reasonably appropriate means to minimize the risk - 6 -

of disclosure or interception of the information. In assessing whether to use a particular

information technology to communicate confidential information to or about a client, IT

should assess the situation from different perspectives. What are the risks that a particular

information technology poses for inadvertent disclosure or interception? What impact will

the choice of technology have on the client with respect to costs, accessibility, and ease of

use?

IT should inform a client of the risks of unauthorized disclosure and interception

before using information technologies.IT need to ensure that their clients, too,

understand that they need to protect the confidentiality of communications to them. Seeking

client consent before using a particular technology for communications may be appropriate.

IT should also be aware that changes to information technologies mean changing risks

over time. For example, in the shift from telephone answering machines to digital voicemail,

telephone messages now attract confidentiality risks similar to those for e-mail

communications, namely that messages can be easily saved, copied and forwarded.

Information Technology and Ethics/IT Professionals and Their Relationship

1 IT Workers and Their Employers

2 IT Professionals Relationship with Clients and Suppliers

2.1 Clients

2.2 Suppliers

IT Workers and Their Employers

It workers are employees just like any other employee in the company.They must manage a relationship with their employer, this requires the work of both parties.This relationship like any-other comes in stages, as the relationship develops .The relationship between an IT worker and employer may begin before he /or she begins working.Before an IT worker accepts employment,they may first want discuss job title,performance expectations,specific work responsibility,drug-testing requirements,dress Code,location of employment,salary,work hours and benefits.Issues in employment that are not addressed by any of the concepts listed above or in the employers handbook may be addressed by law.The law for example protects an employee from being forced to do anything illegal by their employer.It workers are considered stewards of the companies Technological resources .Since they have the knowledge and abilities to abuse and bypass the system they must instead set an example and enforce policies.

IT Professionals Relationship with Clients and Suppliers

It professionals have to deal with two groups of people who expect the IT Professional to either provide monetary gratification or services.

Clients

The relationship between an IT professional and their clients usually begins with the client contacting the IT Professional and asking them to perform a specific job.The IT Professional then accepts the job he waits for the client to provide relevant information about the job. IT Professionals rely on the information provided by clients to be truthful and complete, so in turn they can provide recommendations to their clients who make decisions about the project.Clients must also listen to IT workers and ask them questions to understand key nuances that will impact the decisions they make and how those decisions will affect the projects budget and schedule.

It Professions sometimes become in ethical delemas when they begin recommending there products to clients that may or may not remedy their problem, if it ever existed.Other problems may arise when Project manager begin to fall behined on their projects due to a varity of reasons such as lack of experince and/or information.Clients may no be aware of the problem until it becomes a crisis which forces the project manager to reveal the truth.The client may charge the IT Professional with either fraud, misrepresentaion and / or breach of contract.

Suppliers

Suppliers provide IT workers with hardware, software and services. Like with clients IT workers must have a good working relationship with their Suppliers.In order to build a good relation ship with suppliers deal with them fairly and do not make unreasonable demands. Since its a competitive market many suppliers try to increase sales. Suppliers may try to bribe IT workers in order to achieve their goals. A bribe is the exchange of money, property or favors to someone within an institution, business or government to obtain privileged information or special treatment in contracts attribution. A gift is essentially different because a gift does not come with obligations, in any case in a commercial setup or in relation with a recipient that is in a position to benefit the donor, ethics dictate that the practice is negative. Gifts must always be reported and never hidden, the moment a gift is hidden it becomes a bribe. Most bribes are made through a third party, while gifts should lead directly from donor to recipient.

Information Technology and Ethics/Who commits cyber crimes?

 (Redirected from Information Technology and Ethics/Types of Cyber Criminals)

Cyber criminals and laws

There are criminals who commit cyber crimes for different reasons. Some of them steal from companies and private citizens for financial gain, while others steal secrets from not only companies, governments and private citizens. Some of the perpetrators to disrupt the infrastructure of the government or company. The annual cost of computer crime in the US alone is $2 billion and rising. Hackers test the limits of information systems for the challenge of doing so. They have the most rudimentary-understanding of information and security systems. Some believe that hackers perform a service by exposing security risks. While crackers break into network and systems to deface websites, crash computers and networks, spread harmful programs and/or hateful messages.

Malicious insiders are employees or officers of a business, institution, or agency that conducts activities intended to cause harm to the organization. Malicious insiders not always employees, they can be consultants and contractors. It is difficult to detect and/or stop malicious insiders. They are authorized to access the systems they abuse. Most systems are vulnerable to these systems because they were designed to keep intruders out. Insiders know how the system work and how to bypass security systems. The organization may be able to take steps to reduce these attacks. Industrial spies steal trade secrets to gain competitive advantage. Hactivists and cyber-terrorist attack systems in order to promote their ideologies and intimidate governments in order to advance these goals.

Homeland Security Act of 2002 include provisions for the Cyber Security Enhancement Act which demanded life sentences for hackers that recklessly endanger lives. It allows for net surveillance to gather personal and private data without a court order. ISPs can turnover users’ records to law enforcement. The computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1984, 1987 and 1994 carries penalties that include fines and/or imprisonment,when you cover acts of fraudulent trespass, intentional destructive trespass, and reckless destructive trespass.http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Information_Technology_and_Ethics/Types_of_Cyber_Criminals

Information Technology and Ethics/Protecting Data

Information Privacy

In order to take advantage of many services you may need to provide personal information. That personal data has a high risk of being stolen, lost or disclosed, this is especially true for financial data.

The information that is collected must be accurate, complete, current and relevant to the purpose it was collected. Companies should have safeguards in place to protect information from unauthorized access, modification or disclosure to other parties.

There are laws protecting how consumers information is collected and stored, even placing limits in how a company may obtain and use data provided by customers. The protection of financial data is important but consumers should be aware of how all their data is collected, whom it is collected by and how is it protected and to whom it is shared.

Identity Theft

Identity theft has become one of the fastest growing crimes especially in the United States of America. Thieves steal important information that would allow them or someone else to impersonate an individual. This information may includes:

• Name
• Address
• Date of Birth
• Social Security Number
• Passport Number
• Drivers License
• Mothers Maiden Name

Business and consumers are taking more steps to protect this important information from identity theft. Besides stealing information from you identity thrives have other methods for obtaining what they need.

Identity thieves have a few ways to gain access to information one of which is to create a data breach to steal personal records. They purchase the data from criminal or they may use phishing to entice users to willingly give up the information. They may even install spyware capable of capturing keystrokes.http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Information_Technology_and_Ethics/Protecting_Data

Information Technology and Ethics/Privacy

Companies collect information about users, when they register at websites, fill out forms or complete surveys. They also use cookies , which are files that websites may put on your hard disk when you visit. Cookies allow companies to monitor sites you visit, it also saves prefences, and usernames. The use of this type of technology is questionable because it allows companies you use to collect information without permission. There are couple ways to limit the m=number of cookies deposited into your computer

Adjust browser setting setting so your computer will not accept cookies

Manually delete cookies

Anonymous browsing programs

Cookie Management program

Consumer data is collected whenever someone uses credit cards fills out warranty cards answers a survey over the phone, or registers a car. This information may be shared or sold to third parties.Marketing firms gather this information to form a database.Advertisers then use this information to target specific groups of people. http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Information_Technology_and_Ethics/Privacy

Information Technology and Ethics/Intellectual Property

Intellectual property are works of the mind, such as art, books, films, formulas, inventions, music and process that are distinct and owned or created by a single person or group. Intellectual property is protected by either copyrights, patents or trade secrets laws.

Copyrights and Patent

 “             To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.        ”

Copyrights are the exclusive right to distribute, display, perform, or reproduce an original work in copies or to prepare derivative works based on the work. If you violate the rights secured by the owner of a copyright when you copy substantial and material part of their work its called copyright infringement. Copyright terms last for different periods of time depending on the circumstances.

Patents are protection for any invention whether it be a product or process in a fields of technology.Patents not only prevent independent creation but also copying. If two people invent the same item,the first person to file the patent has exclusive rights to the product.While the other inventor must as the first person for permission to use the original patent. Patent infringement is the violation of the rights secured by the owner of a patent, when someone makes an unauthorized use of anthers patent.

Security

Overview

When information technologies use, such as faxes, cell phones, e-mail, web mail and

wireless devices, to communicate about or with a client, they should take appropriate steps to

reduce the risk of inadvertent disclosure or interception of the communications and

unauthorized access to the information.

Computer security vulnerabilities include:

• ―malware‖ – a term for malicious and unwanted software designed to enter a

computer system without consent and damage the hardware, software or electronic - 12 -

information stored on the computer, and includes computer viruses, worms, adware,

spyware and Trojan horses;

• use of wireless communication technologies that can be intercepted if improperly set

up without security measures, such as encryption;

• unauthorized interception and copying of data; and

• loss of data through theft, accidental loss, breakage, obsolescence, corruption or

degradation of the storage media, disasters, power failures and power surges.

Trade Secret

Trade secrets and any other information with commercial value must be protected against breach of confidence and other dishonest acts.Although they are protected companies must take reasonable steps to protect this information. In order to properly protect trade secrets companies must have a comprehensive strategy for keeping the information secure. Employees may disclose trade secrets or steal them for financial gain. Organizations must educate employees the importance of secrecy. http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Information_Technology_and_Ethics/Intellectual_Property

Information Technology and Ethics/Intellectual Property Issues

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of stealing someones ideas or works and passing them off as your own. since their has been a boom in the amount of content, allows users to to cut and paste pieces of information into paper or report.There are also websites where you may order papers. In order to combat plagiarism problems teachers and professors have begun programs that will detect plagiarism. Schools have begun different technique to combat plagiarism:

Help students identify and understands what constitutes plagiarism.Help them understand how why they should properly cite websites and other sources.

Reduce the likelihood students would copy others work by having pieces due of the term.

Inform students about plagiarism detection services. http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Information_Technology_and_Ethics/Intellectual_Property_Issues

Information Technology and Ethics/Does IT Affect Performance In The Workplace?

Productivity is the amount of output produced per unit of input. Innovation is the most prominent reason role in the increase in productivity.It has played a key role in enabling innovation. Business try to improve their use of IT in the business process. They have realized that IT reduces the amount of input required to produce. They consolidate operations and improve performance by becoming more efficient.Businesses analyze the expected returns when choosing whether or not to implement an IT option. It is difficult to measure the it software would have on workers productivity.Employees have the option depending on their line of work they may be able to work from home.they use a variety forms of communication, which include but not limited to:E-Mail, Audio Conferencing, and Instant Messaging. Teleworkers use the internet to access computer file logs, log on to software applications, they also communicate with fellow employees, managers, customers and suppliers. Telework allows employee to be flexible and productive from wherever they are. Businesses are now trying to conserve their network capacity and improve network productivity by blocking non essential use of it assets.

Businesses should prepare guidelines and define what positions and workers are ideal for telework. These guidelines should state how and when work will be given and collected. There must be certain hours in which teleworkers must be available. Some of the advantages and disadvantages of telework for employees.

• Teleworkers avoid long commutes and gain time for additional work
• Minimize the need for employees to take the time off.
• Improved work/family balance for teleworkers
• Some of the disadvantages are:
• Some people are unable to work from home.
• Teleworkers may suffer from isolation
• Teleworkers must guard against working to many hours , since work is always there.

Information Technology and Ethics/Software Quality

Software Quality and Liability

The quality of software is important to users as well as business. Business uses software as part a business information system. Business information systems and safety-critical systems. Business information system are a combination of hardware, software databases, networks, people and procedures. They collect and process information and disperse it into the proper departments. Since this software is essential to business, if they fail the company may sue the manufacturer of the software.

In safety-critical systems, failure of this system may cause injury and/or death. In order to ensure the quality of such software it professions may have to test and reprogram systems many times over in order to work out the problems in the system. Safety-critical systems require more measures to identify and remove errors. To ensure the quality of the software, managers may appoint a project safety engineer. Project safety manager’s tasks may include system analysis, design, coding, fault analysis, testing, implementation, and change control. The software needs to rechecked often; this means safety-critical systems take longer to complete. The cost of making quality software may lead many project manager to rush the product to completion in favor of revenue. This type of thinking may lead to product liability suits by consumers.

Since product liability is not covered under federal law instead, it is covered by common law which is decided by state judges and the UCC (Uniform Commercial Code). In regards to software, Article 2 of the UCC states that any defects that causes injury or loss to purchasers, or users of the product, the victims may sue. There are several concepts in which software liability claims are made.

• Strict Liability is when the defendant is held strictly liable for injuring another person regardless of intent or negligence
• Negligence is the failure to do what a reasonable person would do, or doing something that a reasonable person would not do.
• Breach of Warranty occurs when manufactures fail to meet the terms of the warranty.
• Intentional Misrepresentation is when a seller or lessor misrepresents the quality of a product and/or conceals defects.

Software Piracy


                Software piracy is a crime:

According to http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/s/softpira.htm A term used to describe the act of illegally using, copying or distributing software without purchasing the software or having the legal rights. The majority of software purchased today is purchased as a one-site license, meaning that only one computer may have that software installed on it at one time. Copying that software to multiple computers or sharing it with your friend without multiple licenses is considered illegal and is considered software piracy.

According also to http://www.techopedia.com/definition/4361/software-piracy

Definition - What does Software Piracy mean?

Software piracy is the stealing of legally protected software. Under copyright law, software piracy occurs when copyright protected software is copied, distributed, modified or sold. Software piracy is considered direct copyright infringement when it denies copyright holders due compensation for use of their creative works.

Techopedia explains Software Piracy

Software piracy penalties apply to users that illegally reproduce copyrighted works and/or users who are knowingly in possession of illegally reproduced works. Unknowingly accepting pirated software is another scenario, provided it can be proven. End users may notice red flags, which indicate pirated software, especially if the acquired digital media is encased in inconspicuous or generic containers, such as CD sleeves or unnamed disk packaging.

The Ethics of Information Technology and Business

De George, Richard T., The Ethics of Information Technology and Business, Blackwell Publishing, 2003, 289pp, $24.95 (pbk), ISBN 0631214259.

The Ethics of Information Technology and Business is an examination of a wide range of ethical questions that arise from the use of information technology in business and the business of information technology itself. Among the many issues discussed, privacy has a central place. Two chapters are devoted to the topic (chapter two: Marketing, Privacy, and the Protection of Personal Information; and chapter three: Employees and Communication Privacy). Privacy comes up repeatedly in other chapters of the book as well, such as chapter five, Ethical Issues in Information Technology and E-Business, where Web tracking and data mining are discussed, and chapter six, Ethical Issues on the Internet, in which the issues of anonymity and security are raised. "RICHARD T. DE GEORGE"

What are the principal ethical concerns i should be conscious of in the use of Information Technology?

Summary

           The study of the development, implementation and management of the computer-based information is known as Information Technology. The flow of information has changed the way we live in today world. Information is the backbone of every system.

           Yes, Information technology makes our life easier and faster but we should remember that it requires great responsibility.  We should think that in every action there is always a result or consequence and we should be ready for that.

           As we are adapting to the modern world, we should remember principal ethical concerns in using  Information Technology. We should not forget that we are still human,which means we can make mistakes.

          In order for us, to avoid such troubles in using information technology, we should remember some ethical concerns.

       We should be conscious, careful and responsible  and every word we share to other people,because simple words are still powerful. We should always be ready with the consequences of our actions. In posting messages or even sharing, we should be honest that all those words we say, we should mean it. In addition, being open-minded is also a good attitude in responding to some situations.

           Furthermore, we should limit sharing all the things of our personal life, for our safety and we should still have our privacy.If there are bashers, just never mind them, as long as you know what is true and what is not.