COMPUTER

ETHICS

Chapter 2
Ethics of IT Profession
Prof. Alaa El-Halees
 OUTLINE
 Introduction
 Professional Values
 Software Engineering Professional Ethics
INTRODUCTION
 Profession is any type of work that
needs special training or a particular
skill.
Profession often one that is
respected because it involves a high
level of education.
INTRODUCTION
Professionals are a group of people who
earn a living by undertaking a common
activity. e.g. consultant, researcher, nurse,
doctor , Journalist, IT …etc.
In IT, Software Developer, System
Analysis, Mobile Developer, Graphics
Design, Video game designer, ..etc
consider as professional.
INTRODUCTION
Professional ethics are principles that govern the
behavior of a person or group in a working
environment.

Professional ethics provide rules on how a person

should act towards other people and institutions in
such an environment.
Every profession has its particular rules,
regulations, or you could say principles.
INTRODUCTION
A person when choosing a job must know that specific
profession.
Every person has a choice for a specific profession,
they need to what some basic facts about ethics related
to that profession.
One example of professional ethics is the principle of
confidentiality, which states that professionals should
not disclose private or sensitive information about
clients or patients without their agreement.
 OUTLINE
 Introduction
 Professional Values
 IT Professional Ethics
PROFESSIONAL VALUES

 Professional Values refer to principles,

and standards of conduct that guide the
behavior of individuals and
organizations in the professional sphere.
 Professional ethics support all
professional. There are some universal
ethical principles that apply across all
professions, including:
PROFESSIONAL VALUES
Common Professional Values
1) Respect for others. Treat people as you want to be treated.
2) Honesty. Tell the truth and avoid any wrongdoing to the best of
your ability.
3) Justice. Make sure you’re objective and fair and don’t
disadvantage others.
4) Lawfulness. Know and follow the law – always.
5) Competence and accountability. Work hard and be responsible
for your work.
6) Teamwork. Collaborate and ask for help.
RESPECT FOR )1
OTHERS
It’s required to respect everyone you interact
with. Be nice, polite and understanding.
You must respect others’ personal space, opinions
and privacy.
Just because you can do something doesn’t mean
you should do it.
For example you as university network
administrator, It is not right to read users’ emails.
RESPECT FOR )1
OTHERS
Example of respect for others is software developer
who is designing and creating a new application.
They should consider how the application will be
used and by whom, and should design it in a way
that is accessible and inclusive for all users,
regardless of their abilities or disabilities. This
includes taking into account things like accessibility
for users with visual or auditory impairments, or
ensuring that the application.
The developer should also be respectful of the
culture and customs of users, and not create an
application that is culturally insensitive or offensive.
RESPECT FOR )1
OTHERS
Also, not use a computer to harm other
people.
It is unethical to use a computer to harm other
people
It is unethical to write programs, which on
execution lead gaining unauthorized access to
other users' data. Being involved in practices like
hacking, spamming or phishing does not
conform to computer ethics.
HONESTY )2

Honesty is one of the most

fundamental ethical values.
An honest person does not steal,
cheat, or use fraud, trick or any other
form of trickery to obtain anything of
value (money, job approval).
HONESTY )2
Example:

A software consultant is negotiating a contract

with a local community to design their traffic
control system. He recommends they select the
TCS system out of several available systems on
the market. The consultant fails to mention that
he is a major stockholder of the company
producing TCS software.
HONESTY )2
Example: A tester has decided to sign off a
system without doing any testing, because they
trust the customer and development team to test
the system better than they can.
Example: tester should also be honest about the
quality of the software product and its readiness
for release, and should not sign off on the product
if they believe it is not ready or has significant
issues that need to be addressed.
HONESTY )2

Part of honesty is to ensures that the software

developer is not violating any laws or regulations
related to intellectual property rights .
Example: People (or their employers)
automatically own the copyrights to anything
they write. Copying of a chunk of code from
another program, website or multimedia object
would is honesty violation.
HONESTY )2

Also, you should be honest in your CV and

interview.
If in your want to get a job, you have ever put
something on a resume or communicated
something in an interview that wasn't true..
In a study, 63% of IT hiring managers
reported that they'd caught a lie on a resume.
JUSTICE )3
Professional values such as justice are important for
ensuring fairness and objectivity in the profession.
Justice in the field of information technology means that
IT professionals should act in a way that is fair and
equitable to all stakeholders and not discriminate against
any individual or group based on their personal
characteristics.
JUSTICE )3

Example: System administrator who is

responsible for managing access to a network or
system. They should ensure that access to
resources and privileges are granted fairly,
without any discrimination based on factors such
as race, gender and religion.
Additionally, they should also ensure that all
users are held to the same standards and rules,
regardless of their personal characteristics
JUSTICE )3

Example: In determining requirements for an

information system to be used in an employment
agency, the client explains that, when displaying
applicants whose qualifications appear to match
those required for a particular job, the names of
white applicants are to be displayed ahead of
those of non-white applicants, and the names of
male applicants are to be displayed ahead of
those of female applicants.
JUSTICE )3

Don’t act in a way that abuses others, their hard

work or their mistakes. Give everyone equal
opportunity .
Be objective when making decisions that can
impact other people, including when you’re
deciding to hire, promote or fire someone.
Be sure that you can justify any decision with
written records or examples. Seek and use the
most objective methods in any case;
JUSTICE )3

For example, when interviewing

candidates, ask the same interview
questions to all of them and avoid
judging non-job-related criteria, like
dress, appearance, etc.
JUSTICE )3
Algorithmic bias describes systematic bias in a computer
system that create unfair outcomes, such as privileging
one arbitrary group of users over others. 
Take an example of a customer fraud detection tool that
underperformed in a certain geographic region, marking
all customers living in the area with a falsely high fraud
score.
JUSTICE )3

example is a 2018 study by researchers at MIT

and Stanford University found that commercially
available facial recognition systems were
significantly more likely to misidentify
individuals with darker skin tones and women,
compared to individuals with lighter skin tones
and men.
This has raised concerns about the potential for
these systems to be used in a discriminatory
manner, such as by denying certain individuals
access to certain services or opportunities.
LAWFULNESS )4
Lawfulness are important for ensuring that professionals
act in obedience with the laws and regulations that govern
their profession.
You are obliged to follow all laws which apply to
organization or country.
Depending on your role and profession, there might be
various laws you need to observe.
LAWFULNESS )4

An example of lawfulness in information

technology would be a network administrator
who is responsible for managing a company's
network. They should be aware of and comply
with laws and regulations related to data privacy
and security.
LAWFULNESS )4
Following laws regarding fraud, bribery, corruption and
any kind of assault is a given. You are also obliged to
follow laws.
For example of computer illegal act is stealing funds via
computer. Or buy products using stolen credit card. 
Entering a computer unauthorized, the perpetrator can
steal a company's trade secrets and data.
Such a crime could be committed by an employee aiming
to sell such secrets to a competitor.
 LAWFULNESS )4
:Examples of Laws in Information technology
•The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European
Union, which regulates the collection, use, and protection of
personal data.
•The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
(HIPAA) in the United States, which regulates the handling of
personal health information.
•The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) in the United States,
which criminalizes unauthorized access to computer systems and
networks.
•The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS)
which regulates the security of credit card transactions.
LAWFULNESS )4
Or it can be company level law
•For example:
Huawei values and works hard to create a culture of
integrity.
-All employees are required to study, sign, and comply
with the company's Business Conduct Guidelines
(BCGs).
-They also provide anti-bribery and anti-corruption
training programs for key employee groups.
LAWFULNESS )4

Law and Ethics

Laws are written, approved, and then
enforced by the level of government
where they were written.
LAWFULNESS )4

Ethics, on the other hand, are principles and

values that are used to guide the behavior of
individuals and organizations.
Ethics are not necessarily enforceable by law and
may not be specific to a particular profession or
industry.
They are often based on broader moral or
philosophical principles and may be open to
interpretation and debate.
LAWFULNESS )4

An example of case that is legal but not ethical,

can be in the field of marketing, where a company
may use personal information of customers that
they have collected legally through a terms of
service agreement, to target them with
personalized ads, but not considering the privacy
of the individual, and the fact that they may not
want to be tracked or targeted with personalized
ads. They agreed because they do not read or
understand the agreement.
4) LAWFULNESS

Relationship between Ethics and Law

The relationship between ethics and law leads to four
possible states
Legal Not Legal

Ethical I II

Not Ethical III IV

LAWFULNESS )4

I. Ethical and Legal

Buying a spreadsheet program and using it to do
accounting for clients.
LAWFULNESS )4

II. Ethical but not Legal:

Example can be in the field of data privacy and
security, where an employee may discover that
the company is collecting and using personal data
of customers in ways that violate their privacy.
The employee may feel that it is their ethical
responsibility to raise the concern and report the
violation, even though it may not be in line with
the company's policy or legal regulations.
LAWFULNESS )4

III. Not Ethical but Legal

Example can be when a technology company
designs and sells surveillance technology to
governments known for human rights violations.
While it may be legal for the company to sell the
technology, it may not be ethical to enable
governments to use the technology to suppress
dissent or violate the rights of citizens.
LAWFULNESS )4

IV. Not Ethical and Not Legal

Pirating copyrighted software
Planting viruses in someone else’s computer
system
COMPETENCE AND )5
ACCOUNTABILITY
Competence  refer to the knowledge, skills, and
abilities that are necessary for IT professionals to
perform their work effectively and efficiently.
Competence in information technology means
that IT professionals should have the necessary
knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform their
work, and should be committed to continuing to
learn and develop their skills in order to keep
pace with the rapidly changing technology.
COMPETENCE AND )5
ACCOUNTABILITY
An example of competence in information technology
would be a software developer who is responsible for
designing and developing software applications.
They should have a strong understanding of
programming languages, software development
methodologies, and industry best practices in order to
design and develop high-quality software that meets
the needs of the users.
Additionally, they should also be committed to
continuing to learn and develop their skills in order to
stay current with the latest technologies and trends in
software development.
COMPETENCE AND )5
ACCOUNTABILITY
Example:
Hackers were able to gain access to the personal
information of millions of Target customers by exploiting
a vulnerability in the company's network security.
It was revealed that the company's IT staff had not been
properly trained or equipped to detect and respond to
security threats, and that they had failed to implement
basic security measures such as firewalls and intrusion
detection systems.
COMPETENCE AND )5
ACCOUNTABILITY
Accountability in information technology means
that IT professionals take ownership of their
work, take responsibility for the outcomes of
their work, and are willing to be held accountable
for their actions.
COMPETENCE AND )5
ACCOUNTABILITY
Example of accountability in information technology can
be seen in the case of a technology company that
developed and launched a new mobile app. The app was
intended to make it easy for users to access and manage
their personal information, but it was discovered that the
app had a security vulnerability that could potentially
expose users' personal information to hackers.
In this case, the IT team responsible for developing the
app took full accountability for the security vulnerability
and quickly issued a patch to fix the problem. They also
took steps to notify users of the vulnerability and provided
instructions for how to update the app to protect their
personal information.
COMPETENCE AND )5
ACCOUNTABILITY
Example:
This computer-controlled machine was designed for the
radiation treatment of cancer patients.
During a two-year period the machine massively
overdosed six patients, contributing to the eventual death
of three of them.
These incidents were the result of the combination of a
number of factors, including software errors, inadequate
testing and quality assurance, bad interface design, and
inadequate investigation or follow-up on accident reports.
TEAMWORK )6

Teamwork refer to the ability of IT professionals

to work effectively and collaboratively with
others to achieve common goals and objectives.
Teamwork in information technology means that
IT professionals should be able to communicate
effectively, share knowledge and skills, and
support one another in order to deliver high-
quality services and solutions that meet the needs
of their clients and stakeholders.
TEAMWORK )6

An example of teamwork in information

technology would be a software development
team that is responsible for designing and
developing a new software application.
The team should be able to work collaboratively
to share ideas and knowledge, and to divide the
work among team members in a way that makes
the most effective use of their skills and abilities.
TEAMWORK )6
If the team is not working effectively
As a result, team members were not able to communicate
effectively with one another, and there was a lack of trust
and cooperation among team members. This led to delays
in the project and a lack of progress, as team members
were not able to share knowledge and skills, and were not
able to work collaboratively to solve problems.
The lack of teamwork also led to a poor quality of the
product , which ultimately resulted in the project being
cancelled. The company incurred significant losses and
wasted resources as a result.
TEAMWORK )6
Free Riders: 
Free riders are individuals who attempt to "ride for free"
on the work of the other members of the group.
Free riders seek to gain the benefits of a cooperative,
collective activity without taking any of the loads or
without, themselves, contributing to the work.
 OUTLINE
 Introduction
 Professional Values
 IT Professional Ethics
IT PROFESSIONAL ETHICS

Information technology (IT) professional ethics

refer to the principles and values that guide the
behavior of IT professionals in their work.
These principles and values are based on the
belief that IT professionals have a responsibility
to use their skills and knowledge to serve the
public good and to act in the best interests of
their clients, customers, and society.
IT PROFESSIONAL ETHICS

Some of profession in IT are:

- Software Developers
- Programmers
- Web Developers
- Mobile Developers
- AI Developers
- Multimedia Developers
SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS
ETHICS
Software developer ethics refers to the principles
and values that guide the behavior of software
developers in their work.
This principles is called code of ethics.
A code of ethics is a set of principles and values that
guide the behavior of individuals or organizations in
a particular profession or industry.
 These codes of ethics are designed to provide
guidance on how to act in specific situations, and to
promote integrity, responsibility, and
professionalism.
SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS
ETHICS
The following is principles from Software Engineering
Code of Ethics and Professional Practice:
1) Approve software only if they have a well-founded
belief it is safe and meets specifications. Programmers
cannot assume that a system is ready to use only because
it performs the tasks needed. They should make sure these
systems are also safe and meet every specification
required by the user.
If programs are not safe, users are unprotected from
hackers that could steal important information or money.
Therefore, several tests should be performed in order to
ensure a system's security before approving it.
SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS
ETHICS
2) Accept full responsibility for their own work. If a
program presents errors, the software developer should
accept full responsibility for his or her work, and should
work on revising, correcting, modifying, and testing it.
Example: a developer who was working on a project to
develop a new mobile application for a company. The
developer was responsible for developing a specific
feature of the application, but they did not take the
initiative to fully understand the requirements and
specifications of the feature, and did not pay enough
attention to the details of the implementation.
SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS
ETHICS
When the application was launched, the feature
did not meet the company's requirements, and
was not able to handle the expected volume of
users.
The company suffered significant losses and
wasted resources as a result. The developer was
not held accountable for the failure of the feature,
and instead, blamed the other team members and
stakeholders.
SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS
ETHICS
3) Use software that is obtained either illegally or
unethically. This principle prohibits using any other
software for any purpose if the way it was gotten is not
clear or is known to be illegal or unethical.
For example software developer who decided to use a
cracked version of a software library to complete a
project. The developer downloaded the cracked version of
the library from an illegal torrent site and used it in their
project without obtaining a valid license or permission
from the copyright holder.
SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS
ETHICS
4) Identify, define, and address ethical, economic,
cultural, legal and environmental issues related to
work projects. 
If a programmer notices and identifies that working on a
project will lead to any kind of problems, then the
programmer should report it to his or her employer before
continuing.
SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS
ETHICS
Example: If the developer notice a software he
working in could be used for mass surveillance
he should report that to specific authority.
Example: Cultural considerations were also taken
into account, the developer should consider the
potential biases in the data used to train the
software, which could lead to inaccuracies and
discrimination against certain groups of people.
SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS
ETHICS
5) Ensure that specifications for software on which
they work satisfy the users’ requirements and they
have the appropriate approvals. 
Software developers should come to their employers to
ask for the correspondent approval to the system they are
creating before continuing working on the next part.
If it doesn't meet the requirements, then a modification to
the source code of the system should be made.
SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS
ETHICS
Example: a developer who was working on a project to
create a new online platform for a retail company.
The developer did not consult with the users or stakeholders
to understand their specific requirements for the platform.
They instead relied on their own assumptions about what the
users wanted.
As a result, the developer created a platform that did not
meet the users' needs. The platform was difficult to navigate,
did not have the features that users wanted, and did not
provide a good user experience. The users were not satisfied
with the platform and it was not adopted as it was expected.
SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS
ETHICS
6) Ensure adequate testing, debugging and
review of software. 
Programmers should perform the appropriate
tests to the pieces of software they work with,
and should check for errors and system security
holes to make sure that the programs are well
implemented.
SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS
ETHICS
Example: project to create a new e-commerce website for
a company. The developer was in a rush to complete the
project and did not take the time to thoroughly test the
website before launching it.
The developer only performed minimal testing and did
not test for all possible scenarios cases, which led to the
website having a number of bugs and errors when it was
launched.
These bugs and errors caused the website to crash
frequently and led to a poor user experience. The
company suffered significant losses and wasted resources
as a result.
SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS
ETHICS
7) Not engage in deceptive financial practices
such as bribery, double billing, or other
improper financial practices. 
Programmers are exposed to be participants in
illegal activities to get money. They get involved in
them due to threats, economic issues, or simply
because they want to obtain easy money by taking
advantage of their knowledge about how computer
systems work. This guideline prohibits
programmer involvement in such unlawful actions.
SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS
ETHICS
One example of deceptive financial practices in
the software development industry could be a
company falsely expanding their revenue or user
numbers in order to attract investors or make
their company appear more successful than it
actually is.
SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS
ETHICS
Another example is case in recent years is the
Volkswagen emissions scandal. Software
engineers deliberately gamed the software
running the injection system in their diesel
engines, the software would turn off the
emissions reduction emissions in certain
conditions, thus making the engine run with
better performance at the cost of spewing more
pollution into the air. This was not a software
bug. It was a purposeful addition to the software.
SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS
ETHICS
8) Improve their ability to create safe, reliable,
and useful quality software.
 Since technology advances faster year by year,
and so does virtual criminality, the need of well-
structured and designed programs is increasing.
Computer systems get old and limited by new ones
and new devices. Programmers should “further
their knowledge of developments in the analysis,
specification, design, development, maintenance,
and testing software and related documents.
SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS
ETHICS
An example is a software developer takes a
course on software testing and learns new
techniques for identifying potential bugs in their
code. They then implement these techniques in
their current project, resulting in a more reliable
and higher-quality product for the end-user.
Another example could be a developer not
keeping up with industry standards and best
practices, resulting in the software being outdated
and not meeting the needs of users.