1 / 23

Ethics

Ethics. In Security & Networking Issues. Purpose of Ethics Policies. Establish TRUST, OPENNESS, and INTEGRITY in the environment. PROTECTION of both the firm and the employees. Ethical procedures lead to fair practices. Scope of an Ethics Policy.

xenon
Download Presentation

Ethics

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Ethics In Security & Networking Issues

  2. Purpose of Ethics Policies • Establish TRUST, OPENNESS, and INTEGRITY in the environment. • PROTECTION of both the firm and the employees. • Ethical procedures lead to fair practices

  3. Scope of an Ethics Policy • An ethics policy should apply, of course, to EVERYONE within the company. • Exception, after all, is unethical.

  4. Before we get to “Policy…” • We should take a look at some philosophical moral principles. As with anything, knowing the theory makes the activity much easier… • There are 3 “schools of ethical thought” that are dominant today:

  5. Kant: Deontology • The doctrine of deontological ethics is also known as “duty ethics.” • According to Kant, rational beings have certain duties to uphold. The important one for us is the duty to the universal. Kant called this duty a duty to the universal moral law.

  6. Kant cont’d • The universal moral law is the CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE. There are 2 very famous manifestations of the categorical imperative: • “Act according to that maxim which you will to become universal law.” • “Treat all rational beings as ends-in-themselves, never as means to another end.”

  7. Kant cont’d • What that means: • Think about what you’re about to do. Formalize it (turn it into a universal concept). Can this concept be instituted as a universal law? If so, it’s a morally good action. If not, it isn’t morally good, and you shouldn’t do it. • Don’t use people for other things.

  8. Kant cont’d • So, if we take Kant’s argument as valid, then we, as rational beings, have a duty to always act for the universally good. We determine what is universally good by way of the categorical imperative.

  9. A picture of Kant for you • Sometimes it’s good to see the face of the thinker. I don’t know why. Immanuel Kant

  10. Bentham/Mill: Utilitarianism • Utilitarianism takes a different approach to morality than deontology. • Where deontology considers the means and motivation and all the “pre-activity” factors, utilitarianism considers the end result alone. • For this reason, utilitarianism is a kind of consequentialism.

  11. Bentham/Mill: Utilitarianism • The motto: “The greatest good for the greatest number.” • This means: Do that which will bring about good for the majority of people involved.

  12. Bentham/Mill: Utilitarianism • Problems arise, of course: • According to utilitarianism, you could morally break into a wealthy person’s home, steal valuables, and sell them, as long as you donate some of that money to charity, as this will bring about good for many in need, and bad only for the wealthy person.

  13. Bentham/Mill: Utilitarianism John Stuart Mill Jeremy Bentham

  14. Aristotle: Virtue Ethics • Aristotle’s ethics emphasize the importance of VIRTUE. • Virtue can be discovered by way of the GOLDEN MEAN: • Virtue is the property in between a DEFECT and an EXCESS (both vices). • Cowardice --- Courage --- Recklessness

  15. Aristotle: Virtue Ethics • Modern virtue ethics is only loosely based on Aristotle. There are as many theories of virtue ethics as there are virtue ethicists. • One thing central to all virtue ethics: • The importance of CHARACTER.

  16. Aristotle: Virtue Ethics • Rather than focusing on ETHICAL ACTIONS, like deontology or utilitarianism, virtue ethics focuses on the ETHICAL PERSON.

  17. How does this fit in with ethics in security & networking? • Ethical policies in any field are decided upon by management. I propose that the most practical approach to ethics in the field of security and networking is the Aristotelian – virtue ethics.

  18. How does this fit in? • Deontology relies on human reason. Someone could in theory follow the categorical imperative and come to the wrong conclusion. • Utilitarianism justifies a good end by any means necessary. Clearly, this could have bad results; the means are important.

  19. How does this fit in? • Virtue ethics builds an ethically good character, who by definition will uphold ethics in the workplace. A good ethics policy will build an ethical employee.

  20. Policy, finally. • According to SANS: • Executives should set a good example. • Executives should keep an open door policy for recommendations, etc. • Employees should treat everyone fairly, have mutual respect, promote a team environment. • Employees must exercise intelligence and effort to maintaining an ethical character.

  21. Policy • To maintain ethical practices: • Start at the top. All employees should maintain an ethical stance and support ethical behavior. • Employees should encourage open dialogue, get honest feedback, and treat everyone fairly, with honesty and objectivity.

  22. Policy – Unethical Behavior • Policy should have no place for: • Harassment or discrimination • Unauthorized use of trade secrets & marketing, operational, personnel, financial, source code, or technical information • Personal use of corporate assets or business relationships

  23. The End • Finally. • Questions?

More Related