Introduction
Many issues are arising as a result of the rampant improvements in technology. Ethical and legal matters that are resulting from the technological advancement are gradually becoming matters of global concern. This paper is written to discuss the legal and moral principles of information security.
Distinction between law and ethics
Ethics is guidelines or rules of conduct that the society is expected to uphold in order to develop a harmonious existence (Gibson, 2011). These guidelines only suggest what humans can or cannot do and they are mostly based on societal values and cultures. Laws, on the other hand, are legal frameworks that have punitive consequences when they are violated. Breaking laws can cause fines charge and other associated penalties.
This is not the case with ethics. While laws are rules and regulations that have defined penalties and consequences, ethics are simply social guidelines founded on moral ideologies and standards (Gibson, 2011). Legislation in some cases may permit some actions that are not ethically justified. For instance, the law demands justice while ethics promotes forgiveness and reconciliation.
Ethical considerations in technology applications
Innovation and the technological advancement in business have offered solutions to many problems. However, the adoption of some technical applications has led to infringement of other peoples’ rights. Issues of privacy and information security are some of the common ethical concerns arising from the developments in IT (Gillers, 2012). Through the internet, organizations can track buying habits of their customers, collect personal information about them, and also monitor their movements. This takes away the right to privacy.
Under the guise of enhancing security, organizations can obtain more information from their customers and employees than it is ethically acceptable. The use of security cameras and surveillance of workers’ activities infringes on their right to privacy. Security cameras also capture images and activities of non-employees such as suppliers and visitors among others. This creates an ethical challenge and infringement on the right to privacy (Gillers, 2012).
Legal and ethical guidelines for using internet information
Access to internet information is a crucial moral issue. Globally, efforts to limit the use of internet information and reliance on online data in legal matters are being pursued. For instance, the use of ‘cloud computing’ in legal practice has been a controversial endeavor. There are several ethical issues arising from the adoption of Virtual Law Office practice, VLO (Gillers, 2012). If an attorney decides to set up a VLO, he or she may be required to take additional steps to prove his or her adherence to ethical obligations (Gillers, 2012). Storage of confidential information in the ‘cloud’ poses a significant risk for consumer privacy.
How legal and ethical principles apply to organizations
In the current IT environment, the legal and moral principles are necessary to consider. The development in IT has created a myriad of legal and ethical issues. For instance, it is hard to measure and determine the extent that the right to privacy can be infringed. As a security protocol, employees are required to surrender too much information (Gibson, 2011).
Their movements and activities are continuously monitored, therefore, compromising their right to privacy. It is illegal to use or access personal information without the owner’s consent. Nonetheless, organizations use the data collected from their customers to monitor their response to the market trends (Gibson, 2011). This raises the ethical issue of right on private information.
Conclusion
This paper has outlined the differences between law and ethics. It has also shown variants of ethical considerations in technology applications. The paper has discussed the legal and ethical guidelines that govern the use of internet information. Lastly this paper has discussed how legal and ethical principles apply to organizations.
References
Gibson, D. (2011). Managing Risk in Information Systems. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Gillers, S. (2012). A Profession, If You Can Keep It: how information technology and fading borders are reshaping the law marketplace and what we should do about it. Hastings Law Journal, 63(1). 23-28.