Ethical dilemma in an information security setting

by | Jan 22, 2025 | entrepreneurship

 

Develop a scenario that presents an ethical dilemma in an information security setting. Take this opportunity to develop a scenario that will stimulate a discussion on different approaches to privacy and ethical problems. The scenario you create should be realistic but unique. It’s okay to think creatively!

Your scenario will be more engaging and meaningful if it is plausible. Focus on typical events rather than rare occurrences or unrealistic characters.

Provide enough background for participants to see how the situation and policies could influence outcomes.
Leave enough ambiguity for participants to interpret unknown factors that might influence their approach.
Provide a clear question or decision for participants to address.
Review the following example of an ethical dilemma scenario, but don’t use it as your initial post.

Your IT administrator assigns the members of your department to perform the company’s yearly ethical hacking audit. During last year’s exercise, one of the IT engineers went outside the scope of the ethical hacking contract and accessed HR files. This was deemed a deliberate violation of the plan, and the employee was fired. However, the vulnerability to access the records was included in the ethical hacking audit report. Knowing that this vulnerability existed last year, how would you proceed in this year’s audit?

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

Scenario:

Background:

  • You are the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for a mid-sized healthcare provider.
  • Your organization has a strong commitment to patient privacy and data security, adhering to strict HIPAA regulations.
  • You recently implemented a new AI-powered system for anomaly detection within the hospital network. This system is designed to identify and flag suspicious activity, such as unusual login attempts, data exfiltration attempts, and potential malware infections.

Scenario:

Background:

  • You are the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for a mid-sized healthcare provider.
  • Your organization has a strong commitment to patient privacy and data security, adhering to strict HIPAA regulations.
  • You recently implemented a new AI-powered system for anomaly detection within the hospital network. This system is designed to identify and flag suspicious activity, such as unusual login attempts, data exfiltration attempts, and potential malware infections.

The Dilemma:

  • The AI system has recently flagged a series of unusual data access patterns originating from the hospital’s oncology department.
  • The access patterns suggest that a specific oncologist, Dr. Evans, might be inappropriately accessing patient data beyond the scope of their clinical responsibilities.
  • You suspect Dr. Evans may be using patient information for research purposes without proper authorization or oversight.
  • This could constitute a serious breach of patient privacy and potentially jeopardize the trust between patients and the healthcare provider.

The Ethical Considerations:

  • Protecting Patient Privacy: Your primary responsibility is to safeguard sensitive patient data. Investigating Dr. Evans’ activities is crucial to ensure compliance with HIPAA and maintain patient trust.
  • Respecting Employee Privacy: Dr. Evans is a valued member of the medical staff. Accusations of data misuse can have significant professional and personal repercussions.
  • Balancing Security with Trust: Over-reliance on AI systems can lead to false positives and erode trust among employees.
  • Transparency and Communication: How do you communicate your concerns to Dr. Evans, the hospital administration, and potentially the relevant authorities?

The Decision:

  • How do you proceed with your investigation into Dr. Evans’ data access activities while minimizing the potential impact on their career and maintaining a productive working relationship with the oncology department?

This scenario presents several ethical dilemmas:

  • Confidentiality vs. Transparency: Balancing the need to protect patient data with the need to respect Dr. Evans’ privacy and due process.
  • Trust in Technology: Evaluating the reliability and ethical implications of using AI for surveillance and decision-making.
  • Responsibility and Accountability: Determining the appropriate level of investigation and the potential consequences for Dr. Evans.

This scenario encourages a discussion on different approaches to privacy, data security, and the ethical use of technology in healthcare. Participants can explore various perspectives, consider the potential consequences of different actions, and develop strategies for addressing these complex ethical challenges.

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