Lecture 4: Ethics for IT Workers and IT Users

IT Worker Relationships That Must Be Managed

1. IT workers and Employers

2. IT Workers and Clients

3. IT Workers and Coworkers

4. IT Workers and IT Suppliers/Vendors

5. IT Workers and Society

IT workers and Employers

• IT workers must protect company assets, data, and systems.

IT workers and Employers

• They should follow policies on privacy, data handling, security, and system usage.

IT workers and Employers

Example: A database administrator must not access or leak employee salaries, even though they have the technical ability to do so.

IT Workers and Clients

• Clients rely on IT workers for accurate advice, quality service, and confidentiality.

IT Workers and Clients

• Ethics involve honesty in project timelines, costs, system capabilities, and risks.

IT Workers and Clients

• IT workers must avoid overselling solutions or hiding limitations.

IT Workers and Clients

Example: A software vendor should not promise a feature that does not exist or cannot be delivered within the client's budget.

IT Workers and Coworkers

• They must collaborate respectfully and avoid sabotage or unethical competition.

IT Workers and Coworkers

• Issues can arise in code sharing, system permissions, or blame-shifting.

IT Workers and Coworkers

• Ethical behaviors include transparency, knowledge sharing, and fairness.

IT Workers and IT Suppliers/Vendors

• IT workers often evaluate or purchase technologies.

IT Workers and IT Suppliers/Vendors

• They must avoid conflicts of interest (e.g., accepting personal gifts in exchange for choosing a vendor).

IT Workers and IT Suppliers/Vendors

• Decisions should be based on company needs—not personal gain.

IT Workers and Society

• IT workers must consider public safety, data protection, environmental impact, and social consequences.

IT Workers and Society

• Ethical concerns include cybersecurity, surveillance, AI fairness, and accessibility.

IT Workers and Society

Example: Failing to secure a system can expose thousands of people's personal data.

Encouraging the Professionalism of IT Workers

1. Code of Ethics

2. Certification and Continuous Learning

3. Professional Conduct in the Workplace

4. Ethical Leadership

5. Safeguards and Policies

Professionalism

ensures high-quality work, accountability, and trustworthiness.

Code of Ethics

Professional organizations provide ethical guidelines, such as:

• ACM (Association for Computing Machinery)

• IEEE Computer Society

• ISACA

Code of Ethics

Codes help IT workers understand expected behaviors, such as:

• Avoiding harm

• Being honest

• Respecting privacy

• Ensuring fairness

Certification and Continuous Learning

Professional certifications encourage IT workers to:

• Stay updated on best practices

• Follow industry standards

• Maintain technical competence (e.g., AWS, Cisco, CompTIA)

Ethical behavior

_____ is tied to competence—lack of skills can lead to harmful mistakes.

Professional Conduct in the Workplace

Organizations must encourage:

• Respectful communication

• Accountability

• Following change management procedures

• Proper documentation

• Reporting breaches or security concerns

Ethical Leadership

Managers must:

• Model ethical behavior

• Promote transparent decision-making

• Avoid pressuring workers to break rules

• Reward responsible behavior, not shortcuts

Safeguard and Policies

Clear policies support professional conduct, such as:

• Data privacy policies

• Acceptable use policies

• Security protocols (access control, password standards)

• Policies for handling sensitive information

These prevent unethical behavior by defining what is allowed.

Users

_____ also impact organizational security and ethical standards. Encouraging ethical use reduces risks such as data leaks, malware, and misuse of systems.

What Can Be Done to Encourage the Ethical Use of IT Resources Among Users?

1. Provide Clear Acceptable Use Policies (AUPs)

2. Conduct Regular IT Ethics and Security Training

3. Promote a Culture of Responsibility

4. Use Technology Controls

5. Provide Support and Guidance

Provide Clear Acceptable Use Policies (AUPs)

Users must know:

• What is allowed (e.g., work-related browsing)

• What is not allowed (e.g., installing personal software, accessing illegal sites)

• Consequences of misuse

Policies

_____ should be accessible and easy to understand.

Conduct Regular IT Ethics and Security Training

Training should cover:

• Phishing and social engineering

• Password hygiene

• Safe email practices

• Reporting suspicious activities

• Respecting intellectual property rights

Training

____ makes users aware of risks and responsible behavior.

Promote a Culture of Responsibility

Encourage users to:

• Report cyber threats

• Follow policies

• Avoid sharing passwords

• Treat data with care

Ethical culture

____ makes users more likely to act responsibly even without supervision.

Use Technology Controls

Organizations can enforce ethical use through:

• Access controls

• Web filtering

• Activity monitoring

• Role-based permissions

• Multi-factor authentication

These limit risky behavior and protect the organization.

Provide Support and Guidance

Users behave more ethically when they feel supported. Provide:

• Help desks

• Clear instructions when errors occur

• Friendly reminders, not punitive tone

Support encourages compliance and reduces accidental misuse.

Ethics in IT

not just about following rules—it is about protecting people, data, and the organization.

IT workers

must manage several professional relationships ethically, while organizations must encourage professionalism through training, policies, and leadership.

Users

also play a critical role and must be guided to use IT resources responsibly.