1-Introduction To Ethics

Professional Practices Lecture 1
Introduction to Ethics
Syed Saqib Raza Rizvi
Definition
• Ethics: “The science of morals; the department of study
concerned with the principles of human duty. The moral
principles by which a person is guided.” – Oxford English
Dictionary
• Moral: “Of or pertaining to character or disposition, considered as

good or bad, virtuous or vicious; of or pertaining to the distinction
between right and wrong, or good and evil, in relation to the actions,
volitions, or character of responsible beings; ethical.” – Oxford English
Dictionary
• Terms will be used interchangeably – basically, knowing

the difference between right and wrong.
Background Of Ethics
•Ethics: a set of beliefs about right and wrong
behavior.
• According to Socrates (Greek philosopher, 477 - 399 BC):People will
naturally do what is good, if they know what is right
• Evil or bad actions are the result of unawareness about right and wrong
• So, if a criminal were truly aware of the mental and spiritual
consequences of his actions, he would neither commit nor even consider
committing them
• Therefore, any person who knows what is truly right will automatically do
it
Introduction
• In the industrialized world computers are changing everything: from
education to health, from voting to making friends or making war.
• Developing countries can also fully participate in cyberspace and
make use of opportunities offered by global networks.
• We are living a technological and informational revolution.
• It is therefore important for policy makers, leaders, teachers,
computer professionals and all social thinkers to get involved in the
social and ethical impacts of this communication technology.
Cyber Ethics and Cyber Technology
• Cyber-technology refers to a broad range of technologies from
stand-alone computers to the cluster of networked computing,
information and communication technologies.
• Cyber-ethics is the field of applied ethics that examines moral, legal,

and social issues in the development and use of Cyber-technology.
• Internet ethics and information ethics.

Computer ethics: definition
• Same as cyber-ethics, or
• The study of ethical issues that are associated primarily with

computing machines and the computing profession.
• The field of applied professional ethics dealing with ethical problems

transformed, or created by computer technology
Computer Ethics:
Some historical milestones
• 1940-1950: Founded by MIT prof Norbert Wiener: cybernetics-
science of information feedback systems.
• 1960s: Donn Parker from California examined unethical and illegal
uses of computers by professionals. 1st code of professional conduct
for the ACM.
• Mid 1970: Walter Maner taught 1st course and starter kit in computer
ethics.
Computer ethics history (cont.)
• 1980: Issues like computer-enabled crime, disasters, invasion of
privacy via databases, law suits about software ownership became
public.
• Mid 80s: James Moore of Darmouth,
• Deborah Johnson of Rensselaer, Sherry Turkle of MIT, and Judith
Perrole published article and books.
Computer ethics history (cont.)
• 1990: Interest in computer ethics as a field of research had spread to
Europe and Australia.
• Simon Rogerson of De Montfort University (UK) Terrell Bynum, editor
of Metaphilosophy (USA), initiated international conferences.
• Mid 90s: Beginning of a 2nd generation of computer ethics with more
practical action.
• 2004: Interest spreads to Cotonou, Benin
Any unique moral issues?
Deborah Johnson: Ethics on-line
• The scope of the Internet is global and interactive.
• The Internet enables users to interact with privacy.
• Internet technology makes the reproducibility of information possible
in ways not possible before.
• The above features make behavior on-line morally different than off-
line.
The debate continues:
• James Moore: Computer technology is “logically malleable” unlike
previous technologies. It can create “new possibilities for human
action”.
• Brey: disclosing non-obvious features embedded in computer systems
that can have moral implications.
• Alison Adams: Take into account gender-related biases. Combine
feminist ethics with empirical studies.
Sample topics in computer ethics
• Computers in the workplace: a threat to jobs? De-skilling? Health and
safety?
• Computer security: Viruses. Spying by hackers.
• Logical security: Privacy, integrity, consistency, controlling access to
resources.
• Software ownership: Intellectual property vs. open source.
• Software development: quality, safety
Computer Security
• Viruses: programming code disguised
• Worms: propagate w/o human intervention(involvement)
• Trojan horses: gets secretly installed.
• Logic bombs: execute conditionally.
• Bacteria or rabbits: multiply rapidly.
• Computer crimes: embezzlement(theft, misuse, stealing).
• Hackers: vandalism or exploration.
Logical Security
• Privacy invasion of email, files, and
• own computer (cookies).
• Shared databases.
• Identity theft.
• Combating terrorism: USA Patriot act.
Software Ownership
• Knowledge: private greed, public good.
• Profit vs. affordability
• Freedom of expression and access to information
• Right to communicate: share and learn in a globalized world.
• Digital divide is immoral.
• Open source software: Linux. Open access.
• North-South information flow. Indigenous knowledge.
Codes of Ethics
• Avoid harm to others
• Be honest and trustworthy
• Acquire and maintain professional competence
• Know and respect existing laws pertaining to professional work
• No personal interest
• Be honest and realistic in stating claims or estimates based on
available data
Cases in 2012
• Cyber criminals target Skype, Facebook and Windows
users
• Cyber criminals targeted users of Skype, Facebook and

Windows using multiple Black hole exploits in October,
according to the latest threat report from security firm
GFI Software.
• Researchers uncovered a large number of Black hole
exploits disguised as Windows licenses, Facebook
account verification emails, Skype voicemail
notifications and spam messages.
Cases Continues
• Cyber attackers increasingly targeting applications,
research shows
• Web and mobile applications are the new frontiers in the war against
cyber attack, according to a top cyber security risks report from
Hewlett Packard (HP) published in May.
• The report reveals that SQL injection (SQLi) attacks on web
applications increased sharply from around 15 million in 2010 to
more than 50 million in 2011.
Ashley Madison Hack 2015: 37 Million Users
The Conficker Worm 2008: Still Infecting a Million
Computers a Year
Stuxnet Worm 2010: Iran's Nuclear Program
Blocked
Home Depot Hack 2014: Over 50 Million Credit Cards
eBay Hack 2014: 145 Million Users Breached
The Melissa Virus 1999: 20% of the World's
Computers Infected
• Melissa is a fast-spreading macro virus that is distributed as an e-mail
attachment that, when opened, disables a number of safeguards in
Word 97 or Word 2000, and, if the user has the Microsoft Outlook e-
mail program, causes the virus to be resent to the first 50 people in
each of the user's address books. While it does not destroy files or
other resources, Melissa has the potential to disable corporate and
other mail servers as the ripple of e-mail distribution becomes a
much larger wave. On Friday, March 26, 1999, Melissa caused the
Microsoft Corporation to shut down incoming e-mail.
Case Continues
• Therac-25
• Therac-25 was a medical linear accelerator, a
device used to treat cancer. What made Therac-
25 unique at the time of its use was the software.
Not only did the software ease the laborious set-
up process, but it also monitored the safety of the
machine. In this case on safety critical software,
you will find that some patients received much
more radiation than prescribed despite the
software safety programming.
Case Continues
• Machado
• At age19, Richard Machado was the

first individual to be convicted of a
federal electronic mail (e-mail) hate
crime. The Machado case is one
example of a handful of similar
incidents that have occurred since
the advent of the Internet.
Case Continues
• Hughes Aircraft
• Between 1985 and 1987, the

Microelectronic Circuits Division of Hughes
Aircraft shipped hybrid microelectronics to
every branch of the U.S. military without
completing various environmental chip
testing processes required by contract. This
is a whistle-blower case where the
allegations against Hughes Aircraft resulted
in a criminal case and a civil case.
Cyber-Crime Cases
• For more Cyber cases follow the link below
• http://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240174301/Top-10-cyber-
crime-stories-of-2012
• http://abcnews.go.com/US/harvard-ethics-student-charged-hacking-
mit-computer/story?id=14110364
Ten Commandments
• 1. Not use a computer to harm other people. This is the foundation
for computer ethics.
Ten Commandments
• 2. Not interfere with other people’s computer work. Such as sending
numerous thoughtless e-mails to larger issues like purposely sending
computer viruses.
Ten Commandments
• 3. Not snoop around in other people’s computer files. Don’t go
looking through other people’s computer files unless given
permission.
Ten Commandments
• 4. Not use a computer to steal.
Ten Commandments
• 5. Not use a computer to bear false witness. Don’t spread rumors or
change your email address so that the receiver of an email believes
that it came from someone other than yourself.
Ten Commandments
• 6. Not copy or use proprietary software for which you have not paid.
Once you buy a software system, music CD or DVD you should not
make copies of that information and distribute it to your friends.
Ten Commandments
• 7. Not use other people’s computer resources without
authorization or proper compensation. This means do not surf the
internet or print off large amounts of paper for personal use
during work hours.
Ten Commandments
• 8. Not appropriate other people’s intellectual output. Don’t upload
information and take credit for it such as music, images and text.
Ten Commandments
• 9. Think about the social consequences of the program you are
writing or the system you are designing.
Ten Commandments
• 10. Use a computer in ways that ensure consideration and respect for
your fellow humans. Just because you can’t always see someone face
to face doesn’t give you the right to offer any less respect then you
would offer in a personal encounter.
CASE STUDY
• http://www.mit.edu/activities/safe/safe/cases/umich-baker-
story/Baker/timeline.html
• http://www.mit.edu/activities/safe/safe/cases/umich-baker-
story/throwout.1
International Papers Links
• http://www.ijie.org, International Journal of Information Ethics.
• www.sans.org/topten.htm Top ten Internet security flaws that system
administrators must eliminate to avoid becoming an easy target.
• http://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/ Computer ethics as a map.
• http://www.neiu.edu/~ncaftori/ethics-course.htm
• The ethics course I borrowed these overheads from.

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Professional Practices Lecture 1

• Moral: “Of or pertaining to character or disposition, considered as

• Terms will be used interchangeably – basically, knowing

• Cyber-ethics is the field of applied ethics that examines moral, legal,

• Internet ethics and information ethics.

• The study of ethical issues that are associated primarily with

• The field of applied professional ethics dealing with ethical problems

• Cyber criminals targeted users of Skype, Facebook and

• At age19, Richard Machado was the

• Between 1985 and 1987, the

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