Doing Ethics Technique: IT Ethics- Essay Writing Assignment

Internal Code: MAS6740

Essay Writing Assignment:

Task: PART 1: DOING ETHICS TECHNIQUE AND ETHICAL THEORY QUESTIONS Your answers should include:- Q1. What's going on? Q2. What are the facts? Q3. What are the issues (non-ethical)? Q4. Who is affected? Q5. What are the ethical issues and implications? Q6. What can be done about it? Q7. What are the options? Q8. Which option is best - and why? i. Company X has just signed a business agreement with Company Y, which entitles both of them to access each other clients’ records. Mr. Faisal, a software programmer at Company Z, was assigned the task of developing a software program that handles the access and retrieval of records from each Company’s database system into the other. A first run of the software on real data indicated that the work was well within the state of the art, and no difficulties were found or anticipated. Several weeks later and during a normal test on the software developed, Faisal discovered a serious ‘security hole’ in the database system of Company Y by which hackers can easily obtain confidential information about clients. He was convinced that while the software he developed could correctly accomplish the task, the code in Company Y’s database system could not be trusted as the security hole posed a threat even on Company X’s database system. Faisal told his manager about the problem and explained its significance. The manager's response was, "That's not our problem; let's just be sure that our software functions properly. Faisal is not sure what to do. Refusing to work on the project means disobeying his manager’s orders. Continuing to work on the project, means disobeying one of God’s commands, this requires him to be truthful and sincere in his dealings. Question 2 - Ethical Theory question Consider the scenario from Part 1-Question 1 and then analyse it from the perspective of the following four (4) ethical theories to argue that the action of the company president is unethical. 1. utilitarianism, 2. deontology, 3. virtue and 4. contract