3.2 Unethical conduct within cyber security

Explaining the complex world of ethical conduct in cyber security to middle schoolers involves breaking down some big ideas into more understandable parts. Let's take a look at the different types of unethical behavior mentioned and simplify them:

Sabotage

Think of sabotage in cyber security like intentionally breaking someone's science project out of anger or to show off how you can fix it. It's when someone purposely damages computer systems or security. For example, a virus called Stuxnet was used to mess up nuclear machines in Iran. Sometimes, people might even try to hack back into a system that attacked them first, but whether that's okay or not is a big question.

Disclosing or Misusing Confidential Information

Imagine you found your friend's diary and read all their secrets. In the cyber world, professionals might have access to very private information. It's not right for them to share these secrets with others or use them for their own gain, like selling them or using them to blackmail someone.

Maliciously Harming Someone's Reputation

This is like spreading rumors or sharing embarrassing photos of someone to hurt their reputation. For cyber professionals, it could mean sharing private or false information about a person or company to damage their name. It's important to know the difference between sharing the truth about someone doing something wrong and spreading information just to cause harm.

Delaying Disclosure

Imagine if you knew a secret that could help everyone but decided to wait before telling it. In cyber security, if someone finds a problem that could lead to attacks, they should tell the right people quickly so it can be fixed. Waiting too long could lead to more damage.

Other Ethical Issues

Here are a few more scenarios to think about:

Using Company Secrets: It's like learning a secret handshake at your old school and then teaching it to everyone at your new school. If you switch jobs, should you use what you learned at your old job to help your new one?
Reporting Wrongdoing: If you found out your school was breaking rules, is it better to report it or keep quiet to protect the school's privacy?
Dealing with Conflicts: If you're helping two friends who are competing in a talent show, is it fair to share secrets you learned from one with the other?
Taking Bribes or Extra Payments: Is it wrong to accept gifts from someone if it influences your decisions, like picking a team captain because they gave you a gift?

Conclusion

Ethics in cyber security is all about doing the right thing, even when it's hard. It means protecting people's information, being honest, and not causing harm to others. Just like in real life, making the right choice can be tricky, but it's important to think about how our actions affect others and always strive to do what's fair and right.