IT ProfessionalsProfessionA calling that requires specialized knowledge and often long and intensive academic preparation Ethics for IT WORKERS and IT USERS

The US Code of Federal Regulations defines a person employed in a professional capacity as one who meets these four criteria:1. Ones primary duties consist of the performance or work requiring knowledge of an advanced type in a field of science or learning customarily acquired by a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction and study or work2. Ones instruction, study, or work is original and creative in character in a recognized field of artistic endeavor, the result of which depends primarily on the invention, imagination or talent of the employee3. Ones work requires the consistent exercise of discretion and judgment in its performance4. Ones work is predominantly intellectual and varied in character, and the output or result cannot be standardized

e.g. Doctors, lawyers, accountants, etc

Are IT Workers Professionals?Many business workers have duties, backgrounds, and training that qualify them to be classified as professionals, including marketing analysts, financial consultants, and IT specialists (programmers, systems analyst, software engineers, database administrators, Network admins, CIOs)However, not every IT role requires knowledge of advanced type in a field of science and learning customarily acquired by a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction and study From a legal perspective, IT workers are not recognized as professionals because they are not licensed by a state or federal government.In malpractice lawsuits, as many courts have ruled that IT workers are not liable for malpractice because they do not meet the legal definition of a professional.

The Changing Professional Services IndustryAlthough not legally classified as professionals, IT workers are considered part of the professional services industry.Seven forces that are changing the nature of professional services(Ross Dawson, author of Advanced Human technology):Client SophisticationGovernanceConnectivityTransparencyModularizationGlobalizationCommodication

Relationship Between IT Workers and EmployersJob title, general performance expectations, specific work responsibilities, dress code, salary, work hours, company benefits, etcAs stewards of IT resources, IT workers must set an example and enforce policies regarding the ethical use of ITSoftware piracy in a corporate setting is sometimes directly traceable to IT staff membersBusiness Software Alliance (BSA)is a trade group that represents the worlds largest software and hardware manufacturers. MissionTo stop the unauthorized copying of software produced by its membersBSA Hotline 1-888-NO-PIRACYKnow It, Report It, Reward It program individuals who report software piracy are eligible to receive $1million

Members of BSA (As of Jan 2009)AdobeAppleAutodeskBentley SystemsCisco SystemsCNC-Software MastercamCorelCyberlinkDassault Systems SolidWorksDellEMCHPIBMIntelIntuitMcAfeeMicrosoftMindjetMinitabMonotype ImagingQuarkQuestRosetta StoneSAPSiemensSybaseSymantec

Trade SecretIs information, generally unknown to the public, that a company has taken strong measures to keep confidentialE.g.Design of new software codeHardware designsBusiness plansDesign of a user interfaceManufacturing process

Sample CaseIn Sept 2006, VP of HPs printer division was fired from his new job after just 4 months. Shortly after his employment began with HP, he e-mailed confidential information from his former employer, IBM, to two senior VP at HP. The information was marked confidential in each page and included product costs and material data that could help HP sales team understand the goals of IBM. HP quickly investigated, fired the employee, and reported him to IBM and law enforcement authorities. He faces 10 years imprisonment and $250,000 fine

Sample CaseIn May 2005, Oracle Corporation paid $8 million to settle charges that it frequently collected fees before providing training for clients and failed to comply with federal travel regulations. The charges arose from whistle-blower lawsuits brought by a former Oracle VP. As a result of settlement, the whistle-blower received $1.58 million of the $8million total settlement.Whistle blowingIs an effort by an employee to attract attention to a negligent, illegal, unethical, abusive, or dangerous act by a company that threatens the public interest.

IT Workers and ClientsFraudIs a crime of obtaining goods, services, or property through deception or trickeryMisrepresentationIs a misstatement or incomplete statement of a material fact.If the misrepresentation causes the other party to enter into a contract, that party may have the legal right to cancel the contract or seek reimbursement for damages

Breach of ContractOccurs when one party fails to meet the terms of the contract.Material breach of contractOccurs when a party fails to perform certain express or implied obligations, which impairs or destroy the essence of the contractWhen IT projects go wrong because of cost overruns, schedule slippage, lack of system functionality, and so on, aggrieved parties might charge fraud, fraudulent misrepresentation, o breach of contract.

Most IT projects are joint efforts by vendors and customers work together to develop the system. Assigning fault can be difficult. Consider the following cases:The customer changes the scope of the project or system requirementsPoor communication between customer and vendor leads to performance that does not meet expectationsThe vendor delivers a system that meets customer requirements, but a competitor comes out with a system that offers more advanced and useful featuresThe customer fails to reveal information about legacy systems or database that make the new system extremely difficult to implement

IT Workers and SuppliersBriberyInvolves providing money, property, or favors to someone in business or government to obtain a business advanatgeE.g.Software supplier sales rep who offers money to anothers companys employee to get its business (kickback or payoff)

Bribes vs Gifts

BribesGiftsAre made in secret, as they are neither legally nor morally acceptableAre made openly and publicly, as a gesture of friendship or goodwillAre often made indirectly through a third partyAre made directly from donor to recipientEncourage an obligation for the recipient to act favorably toward the donorCome with no expectation of a future favor for the donor

IT Workers and Other ProfessionalsResume inflationInvolves lying on a resume and claiming competence in an IT skill that is in high demand

Sharing of Corporate Information

Professional Code of Ethics

Professional Code of Ethicsstates the principles and core values that are essential to work of a particular occupational group

Laws do not provide a complete guide to ethical behavior. Just because an activity is not defined as illegal does not mean ethical

Professional OrganizationsAssociation of Computing Machinery (ACM)Founded in 1947 with 24,000 students and 68,000 professionals in more than 100 countriesThe ACM Code consist of 8 general moral imperatives, 8 specific professional responsibilities, 6 organizational leadership imperatives, and two elements of complianceAssociation of Information technology Professionals (AITP)Started in Chicago in 1951, when a group of machine accountants got together and decided that the future was bright for the IBM punched-card tabulating machines.Provide superior leadership and education in information technology

Professional OrganizationsInstitute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers Computer Society (IEEE-CS)Covers the broad fields of electrical, electronic, and information technologies and sciencesIs the oldest and largest IT professional association, 85,000 membersEstablished in 1946In 1993 the IEEE-CS and the ACM formed a Joint Steering Committee for the establishment of Software Engineering ProfessionThe Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice documents the ethical and professional responsibilities and obligations of software engineers

Professional OrganizationsProject Management Institute (PMI)was established in 1969 and has more than 420,000 members and people who have passed the PMI certificationIts members include project managers from diverse fields such as construction, sales, finance, and productionSysAdmin, Audit, Network, Security (SANS) InstituteProvide information security training and certification

CertificationCertificationIndicates that a professional possesses a particular set of skills, knowledge, or abilities in the opinion of certifying organizationCan apply to productsGenerally voluntaryVendor CertificationsCiscoIBMMicrosoftSunSAPOracle

CertificationProbably no certification carries as much value as a certification in SAP in terms of employment opportunities and higher salariesDuring a s-z-month period in 2008, some 18,000 professional earned SAP related certificationsSAP is too difficult and costlyCurrent shortfall is estimates to be 30,000 to 40,000 SAP experts globally

IT Subject-area Certification (Vendor Neutral)

Subject AreaOrganization providing CertificationPrimary CertificationAuditingInformation Systems Audit and Control Asso (ISACA)Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)GeneralInstitute for Certification of Computing Professional (ICCP)Certified Computing Professional (CCP)SecurityInternational Information Systems Security Certification Consorium, Inc. (ISC)2 SysAdmin, Audit, Network, Security (SANS) InstituteGlobal Information Assurance Security Professional (CISSP) Certification (GIAC) Certified Information Systems CompTIA

Issues Associated with Government Licensing of IT WorkersThere is no universally accepted core body of knowledgeIt is unclear who should manage the content and administration of licensing examsThere is no administrative body to accredit professional education programsThere is no administrative body to assess and ensure competence of individual workers.

IT Professional MalpracticeNegligenceDefined as not doing something that a reasonable person would do, or doing something that a reasonable person would not doDuty of careRefers to the obligation to protect people against any unreasonable harm or riskBreach of duty of careIs a failure to act as a reasonable person would actIT UsersCommon Ethical Issues for IT UsersSoftware PiracyInappropriate use of computing resourcesInappropriate sharing of information