Information Technology Ethics - Essay Example

Technology today makes it very easy to gather, store, communicate, and likewise, and manipulate data. Consequently, developments in information systems also involve social and political relationships-and thus ethical consideration in how information is used is all the more important. Government records, workplaces, and private lives of the people are within the reach of the system and it is a vital responsibility now to balance the needs and rights of everyone.
While everything with online security systems seems very user-friendly and tends to make life easier for a management team, there is also a significantly dangerous side to the use of online information systems. One of them happens to be a cybercrime. Typically, cyber crime can be divided into four categories; theft, fraud, copyright infringement, and attacks. With the popularization of the internet and its several weak links, hackers find it possible to break into security systems where they have access to a person's key personal data such as social security numbers, date of birth, driver's license numbers, and credit card information. Affected individuals have experienced fraudulent financial transactions, and false accusations of crimes they have never committed which begin showing against their names on their record files.

Information systems are vulnerable to physical attacks, electronic hacking, viruses, and natural disasters. With computer systems serving as the backbone of many organizations, managers must be aware of both: the risks and the opportunities to minimize the risks to information systems. A virus is a computer program designed to infect another computer without the permission or knowledge of the user. It can spread from one computer to another, by either sending it over a network, for instance, the internet or by carrying it on removable media such as CDs, DVDs, USB drives, etc. A virus tends to destroy an information system, deleting the data and making it forever irrecoverable.

To look on the bright side, these threats to information systems can be fought with some security measures. The main goal is to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information.

To ensure that there is no vulnerability of an information system being attacked, the following must be kept in mind:
• Identify the security needs and the IT risks of the company.
• Outline the rules and procedures that must be implemented.
• Monitor and detect the information system's vulnerability and keep updated about the system's flaws
• Define the actions to be taken in case a threat is detected.

However, security must also go beyond employee knowledge and cover the following areas as well:
• A physical and logical security mechanism that requires employees to continuously supervise the information system.
• A procedure for managing updates.
• A properly planned backup strategy.
• An up-to-date documented system.
• An active firewall to fight malware.

Even though an information system is prone to many attacks, it can be overcome by taking into account such measures and while there is no denying the fact that a computer information system is the vital key to the success of an expanding company, it is justifiable to say that such consideration be given to its information system. Read More