Information Technology and Ethics
Ethics is an important element that every person in any environment needs to have in order to ensure a peaceful coexistence. Ethics in most cases is reflected in society, which typically directly affects relationships and not personal (Paul & Linda, 2006). Ethics refers to the rules and regulations that direct the conduct of a person or groups of people in a given profession. An ethical person has moral standards in dealing with issues, and confronting any given situation.
Information technology is a different innovation, which has become vital in everyday running of humankind. Technology has eased the mode man operates and manages issues. Most technology being used by man today, such as mobile devices, and personal computers have made it easier for individuals to operate, especially in unraveling problems and communication. Ethics on the information technology is the way man uses it in its implementation and use. Information technology is the procession of data using technology. It could mean the function of to store, retrieve, transmit, and manipulate data, especially in businesses or organizations’ settings (Daintith, 2009). For example, the use of computers in organizations to process data. Ethics among information technology professionals therefore can be defined as the approach of the professionals towards their objectivity in working in their field. Among the professionals, ethics is crucial since much crucial information in the IT sector passes through their hands. Any bad conduct among the IT practitioners is very dangerous, especially in analyzing, designing, implementing, controlling, and storing o the data. The ethics among them will make them be able to handle challenges that face all professionals.
It is important to analyze the importance of ethics within the information technology practitioners. Good ethics among the practitioners promotes smooth operation of computers that avoids negative impacts on other users, environment or the society. This way, they are required to be loyal and fair in their work. This will prevent them from engaging in unethical activities that are not related with organizational objectives. The end result will be enjoying their work and well preservation of data.
Data is the most crucial element in Information Technology. To have a computer complete an operation, individuals must have data or rather there would be no activity to be operated on. Additionally, for data to be processed, there are steps that need to be undertaken within a given frame. In the information technology field, many explorations are normally made every day. In IT, there is no complete knowledge as practitioners always reinvent newer things. This is very useful in the general well being of organizations since the explorations affect their growth directly. Therefore, the IT practitioners are required to be diligent enough in their thinking to exploit all available opportunities in their field. This requires good ethics in the field. Without ethics, there would be many errors, and stagnated innovations within the organizations. Data should be treated with care and all other processes operated with a sober ethical attitude.
Ethics among the IT practitioners is a driving force towards maintaining secrecy within the organization. A lot of crucial data is exposed to the IT practitioners, which could be sensitive in other hands other than an inside employee of a given organization. The ability to keep secrecy can only be kept by a person who is ethically upright. Some information could be benefiting to competitive firms that could trigger bribes s to be leaked. This requires practitioners to be very strict with all organizations data.
Good ethics in IT will also ensure that there is appropriate use of resources allocated to IT practioneres.The ethics will enable the IT practitioners to be able uphold and respect the resources, which will be for the sole reason of organizational performance. In instances of personal use, it will be minimal not to outdo the overall required task by the management.
With good ethics, there is also a well-built respect and understanding among the professionals in an organization. This is manifested where there is co-operation between the team members thereby enhancing good projects outcome. In cases where some improvements have been made on the systems, this will help in explaining the concepts in a good environment, which will have the advantage of success towards the initiative.
Ethics in information technology is a driver towards user satisfaction in an organization. This is evident whereby IT professionals come up with useful developments in the computer systems that will benefit the whole organization. This will be effectively communicated to the specific users who by incorporating the idea increase the general performance of the system.
The IT practitioners also keep a good relationship with suppliers where ethics is observed. This results in a long lasting relationship, which is a result of integrity whenever their services are needed. Practices, such as bribery are not practiced since there is an aspect of good morals and values created.
Information ethics also allows for establishment of guidelines in the usage of organization’s usage policies should be used in IT and piracy cases not be allowed completely. This should also be translated in terms of the employees being in a position to own a software so that they can perform effectively.
Information ethics also enables an organization to be a corporate firewall. This device acts as blockage between an organization and its external environments. This reduces the organization’s internet usage on tasks that are personal, and not relevant to the organization’s objectives. This is also important is dealing with employees who go ahead and perform a lot of surfing that is irrelevant to the organization’s goals. Additionally, this can also block communication from certain entities like emails from websites, or particular personalities, especially if they have ill intentions. The firewall does not only block the communication but hinders some information with certain attachments, which are crucial in blocking virus from entering the system.
Information technology ethics develops a code of conduct, which acts as a pathway to a company’s ethical issues. These are very vital in realizing values that are essential for an organizations’ performance.
Ethical issues in information technology must be tailored along with the advancement of technology. In as much as there is a big step in the achievement of technology, related challenges cannot be ignored. However, the challenges come along due to failure to incorporate vital ethics that come along with technology. Enforcing laws on the information technology field is not a simple task. Most of the users should embrace the ethics and use it as a guiding avenue in their operations. Forms of technological offences take many forms with the most renown one being cyber criminals where at times the real culprit may not be identified.
References
Daintith, J. ed. (2009), “IT”, A Dictionary of Physics, Oxford University Press. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
Paul, R., Elder, L. (2006). The Miniature Guide to Understanding the Foundations of Ethical Reasoning. United States: Foundation for Critical Thinking Free Press. p. np.