What is the Ethical Dilemma in Information Technology?
The application of ethics and morals in technology and the extent to which ethical values are applied in technology has always been a philosophical question that is only now being looked upon. As digital development maintains its exponential rise, so does the power to act that accompanies it. Technological power in different fields, such as information technology, has placed the industry in an ethical dilemma, presenting contradictory alternatives. The excessive use and coverage of information advancement shaped how information is used; the answer to what is the ethical dilemma in information technology solely lies in moral standards to stand in the way of illegal computer networks infiltration.
Technological Ethical Dilemma in IT
The need to address the ethical dilemma in information technology (IT) is fundamental to ethics as they define human attitudes and values, which dictate our actions and behavior as humans. The implementation of information technology in a business should be done with the highest standards of integrity, trust, responsibility, and distinction.
The ethical outline in IT ensures data privacy protection, safeguards trade secrets, and fights piracy, but at the same time is raising other moral issues, such as job displacement with the increase in digital solutions adoption.
1. Personal Privacy and Data Protection
Dealing with an organization’s data and deciding what data in a computer system is to be shared with a third party carries heavy ethical responsibilities. IT consultants implement their best efforts to secure data and secure it from being exposed to the public or even infiltrated by a malicious attack.
2. Trade Secrets
This aspect is of great concern when discussing the information technology ethical dilemma. Protecting the privacy of ideas for a business should be confined within the borders of the company and the IT consultant only. Ensuring the safekeeping of trade secrets such as customer lists, information received by employees concerning valuable business opportunities, and much more should always be of high priority. It could negatively affect the business and break the establishment’s confidence chain.
3. Job Displacement
The hasty and extensive adoption of IT in various establishments will reach a point where it would demand more labor, and digital transformation will be there to answer the call. But where does that leave the employment issue that is already leaving a mark in global economies?
This issue raised various technology ethical dilemmas as IT plays a critical role in shifting the tides between man and machines when it comes to labor. The adoption of digital transformation strategies has left many organizations faced with an ethical dilemma to decrease their workforce to increase capacity while decreasing work pressure.
4. IT Infrastructure Malicious Attacks
In the past couple of years, the IT industry has been faced with its nemesis. The first cybersecurity attacks left information technology facing a gap within its borders. The ethical dilemma in information technology comes from hackers’ ability to penetrate a computer network, control it, and access all the data.
The moral responsibility that falls on the shoulder of any IT expert is to take all the needed precautions to ensure the protection of the data within the system and ensure that the data is backed and stored in a secure network.
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