Professional Ethics in Computer Science

1. Introduction, Morality and the Law

This chapter defines the introduction of ethics in computing and the historical development of computers and ethics. Then the chapter examines personal and public morality, identifying assumptions and values and the law, looking at both conventional and natural law and the intertwining of morality and the law. Defined morality as a system that, in addition to setting standards of virtuous conduct for people, also consists of mechanisms to self-regulate through enforcement of the moral code and self-judge through guilt, which is an internal discomfort resulting from disappointment in the self-medicated conscience.

2. Ethics and Ethical Analysis

This chapter builds upon the previous chapter in setting up the philosophical framework and analysis tools for discussing moral theories and problems in ethical relativism, the moral and ethical premises, and their corresponding values in the changing technology arena. Discussed ethical decision-making as a process of making a decision that may result in one or more moral conflicts.

3. Ethics and the Professions

This chapter examines the changing nature of the professions and how they cope with the impact of technology on their fields. An ethical framework for decision-making is developed. Professional and ethical responsibilities based on community values and the law are also discussed. Social issues including harassment and discrimination are thoroughly covered. Discussed in-depth are the four pillars of professionalism: commitment, integrity, responsibility, and accountability.

4. Anonymity, Security, Privacy and Civil Liberties

This chapter surveys the traditional ethical and privacy issues including security, anonymity, and analysis how these issues are influenced by computer technology. This dialog also looks at privacy and the protection of civil rights. But in the absence of an agreed-upon set of civil liberties by scholars, the discussion focuses on the following four accepted categories: (i) criminal justice that includes police powers, personal liberty, and the right to a fair trial; (ii) basic freedoms of speech, assembly, association, movement, and no discrimination; (iii) freedom of information; and (iv) communications and privacy.

5. Intellectual Property Rights and Computer Technology

This chapter discusses the foundations of intellectual property rights and how computer technology has influenced and changed the traditional issues of property rights. Discussed controversial issues of ownership in rapidly amalgamating global cultures, languages, beliefs, and values as a result of rapid globalization technologies such as telecommunication, which is casting a net far and wide that is likely to create one global commons in the near future. The controversial issues focused on here include the politics and psychology of ownership and the changing infringement landscape. Another issue of interest is intellectual property crime (IPC), activities that involve infringement, counterfeiting, piracy of products and services for profit without permission from the creator, misappropriation, misrepresentation, corruption, bribery, and espionage.

6. Social Context of Computing

This chapter considers social issues in computing including the digital divide, workplace issues such as employee monitoring, health risks from computer use, and how these issues are changing with the changing computer technology. The chapter also covers a detailed discussion on a number of obstacles to overcoming the digital divide through digital inclusion within countries and globally. On workplace issues, the discussion focuses on the best practices to handle the changing workplace issues resulting from the growing army of home-based workers and measuring employee productivity.

7. Software Issues: Risks and Liabilities

This chapter focuses on the issues that arise out of the relationship between the developer and the buyer, including claims, user expectations, and the legal ramifications that may follow an unhealthy relationship. The discussion touches on standards, reliability, security, safety, quality of software, quality of service of software products, causes of software failures, developer and buyer protection, and techniques for improving software quality. Causes of software failures or poor performance of a software product are discussed attributing the causes to a variety of reasons but most notably human error, the nature of software itself, and the environment in which software is produced and used.

8. Computer Crimes

This chapter surveys the history and examples of computer crimes, their types, costs to society, and strategies of detection and prevention. In the discussion, it is noted that a great number of computer attacks fall into two categories, penetration and denial-of-service attacks, and these are discussed in depth. Attack motives are also discussed. Are nations, businesses, and individuals prepared for computer attacks? Are they ready to pay the price? Noted also that although it is difficult to estimate the actual costs of e-attacks on physical system resources, progress is being made for better and more accurate estimates. An in-depth discussion of the social and ethical consequences that include psychological effects, moral decay, loss of privacy, and loss of trust follows.

9. Cyberbullying

This chapter discusses the growing threat and effects of repeated and deliberate harm or harassment of other people by using electronic technology that may include devices and equipment such as cell phones, computers, and tablets as well as communication tools including social media sites, text messages, chat, and websites. In particular, a thorough discussion of the following critical topics in cyberbullying is given.

10. New Frontiers for Computer Ethics: Artificial Intelligence, Virtualization, and Cyberspace

This chapter discusses the new frontiers of ethics in the new artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, virtualization and virtual reality, and cyberspace. The chapter explores how these new frontiers are affecting traditional ethical and social values. The discussion is based on the premise that artificial intelligence technologies, virtualization and cyberspace create possibilities to understand and extend human knowledge to create intelligent agents perhaps with a human–value base, intended to help solve human problems.

11. Ethical, Privacy and Security Issues in the Online Social Network Ecosystems

This chapter discusses the new realities of global computer online social network ecosystems, including moral and ethical dynamism. Based on this communication the chapter defines a social network and its subset, the online social network. Then discussed the types of social networks, their historical development, and the different and changing services of online social networks. After discussing the basics of online social networks, then focus on ethical, social, and privacy issues in the online social network noting that while online, inevitably give off our information to whoever asks for it in order to get services. We note that routinely information collected from online community members, however, is not always used as intended. It is quite often used for unauthorized purposes, hence an invasion of privacy. The complexity, unpredictability, and lack of central authority are further enhanced by a virtual personality, anonymity, and multiple personalities. These three characteristics are at the core of the social and ethical problems in online social networks in particular and cyberspace in general; the larger and more numerous these communities become, the more urgent the ethical concerns become.

12. Elastic Extensions Beyond the Traditional Computer Network

This chapter presents rather frightening and quickly evolving mobile telecommunication and computing technologies, their unprecedented global reach and inclusion, unparalleled social, financial, and cultural prowess, and the yet-to-be-defined social, moral, and ethical value systems. Discussed the crucial role of the mobile operating system and survey the current mobile devices and their anchoring mobile operating systems. The discussion then settles on the ethical and security issues in the mobile ecosystem. Focused on the most troubling issue of the mobile ecosystem, the location-based tracking system (LTS). This technology, in three types, is troubling because it is being used by merchants, law enforcement agencies, and almost everyone else who needs to know where smart electronic devices are. Noted that while users of smart devices may not be aware, these technologies have huge ethical and privacy implications for users of these devices. Focused on the security and threat to individual privacy, for even in public places individuals deserve some privacy, through the collection, aggregation, and centralization of personal information, without user consent of the user, and also on the absence of applicable laws.