1. Information Systems Ethics
Information society
Describes a modern population that is conversant with – and reliant upon – information and communications technology.
Information ethics
The branch of ethics that focuses on the relationship between the creation, organization, dissemination, and use of information, and the ethical standards and moral codes governing human conduct in society".
It provides a critical framework for considering moral issues concerning informational privacy, moral agency (e.g. whether artificial agents may be moral), new environmental issues (especially how agents should one behave in the infosphere), problems arising from the life-cycle (creation, collection, recording, distribution, processing, etc.) of information (especially ownership and copyright, digital divide, and digital rights).
Information Ethics is related to the fields of computer ethics and the philosophy of information.

2. Information Systems Ethics
Dilemmas regarding the life of information are becoming increasingly important in a society that is defined as "the information society".
Information transmission and literacy are essential concerns in establishing an ethical foundation that promotes fair, equitable, and responsible practices.
Information ethics broadly examines issues related to ownership, access, privacy, security, and community.
Information technology affects common issues such as copyright protection, intellectual freedom, accountability, and security.
Many of these issues are difficult or impossible to resolve due to fundamental tensions between Western moral philosophies (based on rules, democracy, individual rights, and personal freedoms) and the traditional Eastern cultures (based on relationships, hierarchy, collective responsibilities, and social harmony).

3. Information Systems Ethics
The multi-faceted dispute between Google and the government of the People's Republic of China reflects some of these fundamental tensions.
Professional codes offer a basis for making ethical decisions and applying ethical solutions to situations involving information provision and use which reflect an organization’s commitment to responsible information service.
Evolving information formats and needs require continual reconsideration of ethical principles and how these codes are applied. Considerations regarding information ethics influence “personal decisions, professional practice, and public policy”.
Therefore, ethical analysis must provide a framework to take into consideration “many, diverse domains” (ibid.) regarding how information is distributed.

4. Information Systems Ethics
Public concern about the ethical use of information technology includes:
and Internet access monitoring
Peer-to-peer networks violation of copyright
Unsolicited
Hackers and identify theft
Plagiarism
Cookies and spyware

5. Information Systems Ethics
Codes of ethics for IT professionals
Central concern: the public good, including human rights and diversity of culture
Honesty and fairness in communication about software and related topics
Use client or employer property only as authorized
High quality, reasonable cost and schedule
Respect for privacy, intellectual property
Disclose conflicts of interest
Address software errors
Lifelong learning
Honor agreements and assigned responsibilities

6. Information Systems Ethics
Computer Crime
Who commits computer crime?

7. Information Systems Ethics
Computer Crimes
Definition: the act of using a computer to commit an illegal act
Authorized and unauthorized computer access
Examples
Stealing time on company computers
Breaking into government Web sites
Stealing credit card information

8. Information Systems Ethics
Computer Crimes
Forms of computer crimes
Financial crimes
Businesses stealing competitors’ secrets
Espionage agents stealing military intelligence
Attacks on computers by terrorists
Grudge attacks by disgruntled employees
Attacks by “hacker” for fun
Use of IT by criminals to run criminal businesses

9. Information Systems Ethics
Computer Crimes
Types of computer crimes
Data diddling: modifying data
Salami slicing: skimming small amounts of money
Phreaking: making free long distance calls
Cloning: cellular phone fraud using scanners
Carding: stealing credit card numbers online
Piggybacking: stealing credit card numbers by spying
Social engineering: tricking employees to gain access
Dumpster diving: finding private info in garbage cans
Spoofing: stealing passwords through a false login page

10. Information Systems Ethics
Computer Crimes
Forms of computer crimes
Hacking and Cracking
Financial crimes
Businesses stealing competitors’ secrets
Espionage agents stealing military intelligence
Attacks on computers by terrorists
Grudge attacks by disgruntled employees
Attacks by “hacker” for fun
Use of IT by criminals to run criminal businesses

11. Information Systems Ethics
Computer Crimes
Hacking and Cracking
Hacker – one who gains unauthorized computer access, but without doing damage
Cracker – one who breaks into computer systems for the purpose of doing damage

12. Information Systems Ethics
Computers Crimes
Financial Crimes
Forms of financial crime:
Embezzlements
Sabotage as a way of “getting back” at an employer
Logic bomb – a program designed to destroy data at a specified date and time
Fraud on the Web
Spoofing – setting up a Web site that mimics a legitimate site

13. Information Systems Ethics
Computer Crime
Cyberattacks on Computers
Cyberattacks do serious economic damage
Hackers originally motivated by technological challenge and intended no harm
Crackers use hacking techniques to steal information or wipe out hard drives

14. Information Systems Ethics Computer Crime
Figure Number of Cyberattack
Incidents Reported (in thousands)

15. Information Systems Ethics Computer Crime

16. Information Systems Ethics Computer Crime
Cyberattacks on Computers
Personal responsibility
Use antivirus software and keep up to date
Make sure all operating system updates are installed
Carefully protect passwords
Carefully opening messages, especially attachments

17. Information Systems Ethics Computer Crime
Identity Theft
“someone appropriating your personal information without your knowledge to commit fraud or theft” (Federal Trade Commission)
Implications:
Ruined credit rating
Extreme effort to “clean up” the mess
Serious problem for businesses and individuals
According to FTC (2003), in 2002:
10 million victims
Loss of $48 billion for businesses
Loss of $5 billion for consumers

18. Information Systems Ethics Computer Crimes
Privacy
Claim of individuals, groups or institutions to determine when, how and to what extent information about them is communicated to others
Violating privacy generally includes:
Unwanted access to your person
Intruding into your home or office
Observing you
Obtaining information about you
Legally, our right to privacy is much weaker than our property rights and right to free speech

19. Information Systems Ethics Computer Crimes
Privacy
IT perspective:
Privacy – ability to control information about ourselves
Individual might give permission to collect and use certain personal information in exchange for some benefit or business transaction
Privacy is invaded when information used in ways never intended or agreed to
Kantian view:
Invasion of privacy always unethical
Treating person with disrespect
Utilitarian view:
Whether unethical depends upon results of action
Does total resulting good exceed harm caused?
But how do you measure harm caused?

20. Information Systems Ethics
Computer Crimes
Privacy Problems
IT has radically affected our ability to control access to information about ourselves
Potential problems:
Government agencies using online databases for official records containing private information
Marketers increasingly value personal information

21. Information Systems Ethics Computer Crimes
Privacy
E-Commerce Privacy Concerns
Many trusted businesses are collecting personal information about us and our shopping activities and selling them to others
Method: use of “cookies” when you visit Web sites
Cookie – a small record that identifies you to the Web site you visited and allows it to set up a file on its computer that can record information about the actions you take with that site
Except for the financial industry, no U.S. laws regulate collection and sharing of data

22. Information Systems Ethics Privacy
Workplace Privacy
75% of employers record employee Web use, voice mail, , or phone calls, review computer files, or videotape workers (American Management Association, 2000)
Up to 25% do not tell workers (Associated Press, 1997)
Ethical (and practical) implication: Is it important that company policies for monitoring employee activities and communications be clearly communicated to employees?

23. Information Systems Ethics
Computer Crimes
Privacy
Freedom of Speech
Use of Internet has led to renewed controversy between our right to freedom of speech and the right of society to protect itself
Spam – unsolicited commercial
ISPs spend a lot of money on anti-spam software
Typical consumers still receive 110 unwanted s a month
Freedom of speech rights make anti-spam laws difficult to write, pass, and uphold in courts

24. Information Systems Ethics Privacy
Intellectual Property Rights
Intellectual property rights – any product of the human mind, such as an idea, an invention, a literary creation, a work of art, a business method, an industrial process, a chemical formula, a computer program, or a presentation
Due to technological advances, sharing intellectual property is easy, rapid, and inexpensive
What property can be owned differs from one society to another
Most societies value and reward intellectual property
A country’s patent and copyright laws try to protect intellectual property

25. Information Systems Ethics Privacy
Software Piracy
Software vendors prosecute large companies for violations, but not often individuals
Ethical question: Is it right to copy software for personal use?
Copyright protects against software piracy, but not against another creating the same thing
Patent – gives creator exclusive right to manufacture and use for a specified period of time
Computer programs are often patented
Digital Entertainment Piracy
Laws are changing very rapidly
Growing volumes of digital music, videos, and movies being pirated worldwide
28% of all CDs sold in 2002 worldwide were pirated (IFPA, 2003)

26. Information Systems Ethics Privacy
Internet File Sharing
Greatest threat to recording industry
Napster developed software to make MP3 files, and maintained a Web site that enables sharing of MP3 files
Courts eventually shut down Napster
New sites spring up, such as Sharman networks with Kazaa service
Many lawsuits still pending

27. Information Systems Ethics Privacy
Impact on Workers
IT can replace workers in some cases
IT can potentially harm the quality of working life
Being on a computer terminal too long can cause repetitive stress injuries
Computerization of tasks can leave remaining manual tasks very dull and boring
Often main objective of a computer system is to reduce costs by replacing people
Ethical question: How do you balance organizational benefits with consequences to people who lose jobs?

28. Information Systems Ethics
Codes of ethics for Business Information Systems Professionals
Central concern: the public good, including human rights and diversity of culture
Honesty and fairness in communication about software and related topics
Use client or employer property only as authorized
High quality, reasonable cost and schedule
Respect for privacy, intellectual property
Disclose conflicts of interest
Address software errors
Lifelong learning
Honor agreements and assigned responsibilities

29. Information Systems Ethics
The Future
What will individuals and organizations do with the increased IT power available for less and less money?
What new social and ethical issues will the future bring?

30. Production and Operation Ethics
What Production and Operation Ethics?
Production and Operation covers activities like location and layout, purchases storage, production process, inspection, inventory controls etc.
Ethics in production is a subset of business ethic that is meant to ensure that the production function or activities are not damaging to the consumer or the society.
This area of business ethics usually deals with the duties of a company to ensure that products and production processes do not needlessly cause harm.

31. Production and Operation Ethics
Why Production and Operation Ethics?
Since few goods and services can be produced and consumed with zero risk, determining the ethical course can be problematic.
In some case consumers demand products that harm them, such as tobacco products.
Production may have environmental impacts, including pollution, habitat destruction and urban sprawl.
The downstream effects of technologies nuclear power, genetically modified food and mobile phones may not be well understood.
While the precautionary principle may prohibit introducing new technology whose consequences are not fully understood, that principle would have prohibited most new technology introduced since the industrial revolution.
Product testing protocols have been attacked for violating the rights of both humans and animals

32. Production and Operation Ethics
Why Production and Operation Ethics?
Some employers are ungrateful and unfair by being negligent toward their responsibilities.
Employers select sites, location which are undesired just because it belong to their promoter or its is cheap
Purchase of low quality facilities due to cost advantages for construction of plant, machinery and other facilities
Employers fail on their regular maintenance of plant and machinery
Casual approach to the final testing of product which might result in the customer not fully satisfied

33. Production and Operation Ethics
Good Ethical Practices in production and operation, include;
Financial statements: accurately representing the organization’s financial condition.
Worker safety: providing adequate training, maintaining equipment in good working condition, maintaining a safe working environment.
Product safety: providing products that minimize the risk of injury to users or damage to property or the environment.
Quality: honoring warranties, avoiding hidden defects.
The environment: not doing things that will harm the environment.
The community: being a good neighbour.
Hiring and firing workers: avoiding false pretenses (e.g., promising a long-term job when that is not what is intended).
Closing facilities: taking into account the impact on a community, and honoring commitments that have been made.
Workers’ rights: respecting workers’ rights, dealing with workers’ problems quickly and fairly.

34. Environmental Ethics What is environmental ethics?
Study of the ethical basis of environment or discussion of the ethical basis of environmental protection.
The discipline that studies the moral relationship of human beings to and the value and moral status of the environment and its nonhuman content
Why study Environmental Ethics
To overcome the following questions.
1. Strategies of companies are scrutinized and evaluated from a natural environment perspective
2.What are the environment damage produce by the organisations?
3.What business practices must be given up to slow such damage
4.Employees, consumers, governments, and society are resentful of firms that harm rather than protect the natural environment

35. Environmental Ethics Environmental Damage 1) Pollution:
Air pollution
Water pollution
Land
Pollution
2) Resource depletion
Depletion of Species & Habits
Depletion of Fossil fuels etc

36. Environmental Ethics The Ethical Values for Pollution n Control
We should recognize our moral duty to protect the welfare not only as human beings, but also of other non–human parts of this system.
Usefulness of non –human world for human purposes
Humans have no rights to reduce this richness & diversity expect to satisfy vital needs.
The ideological changes is mainly that of appreciating life quality, rather than to increase higher
standard of living.
How much of the environment damages caused by several polluters should be counted as damage
to my property

37. Environmental Ethics
Ethical Values for Conserving depletable Resources
Development that meets the needs of the present with comprising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Proper utilisation of resources i.e . the people should maintain Ecological balance.
We should adopt voluntary measures to conserve the resources.
We should preserve enough scarce resources, so that future generation can
Maintain their quality of life at a satisfactory level
Human have altered the natural system of the earth

38. Environmental Ethics Reasons Why Firms Should “Be Green”
Consumer demand
Public opinion
Environmental advocacy groups
Federal and state environmental regulations
Lenders
Consumers, suppliers, distributors, and investors
Liability suits and fines

39. Environmental Ethics Environmental Ethics Principles
We should have profound respect for nature.
We must maintain a harmonious relation with other species.
Everyone should take responsibility for this impact on nature.
Local & indigenous environmental knowledge should be respected.
We must plan for the long term

40. Environmental Ethics Managing Environmental Affairs in the Firm
Managers must formulate strategies that preserve and conserve natural resources and control pollution
Environmental strategies could include
Developing or acquiring green businesses
Divesting or altering environment-damaging businesses
Striving to become a low-cost producer through waste minimization and energy conservation
Pursuing a differentiation strategy through green product feature