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ACM Case Study: Software Security & Disclosure - Coggle Diagram
ACM Case Study: Software Security & Disclosure
OPTION 1: Reveal to Public
Ethical Theories:
Utilitarianism (Greatest good)
Deontology (Duty to tell truth)
ACM Imperatives:
1.1 Contribute to society and human well-being
2.9 Design and implement systems that are robustly and usably secure
Justification: Public safety, transparency
Drawbacks: Panic, company reputation damage
Value of professionalism and ethics
Promotes public trust in the profession
Provides guidance in difficult situations
Establishes a standard of care
Encourages personal responsibility
Application of other classes
Artificial Intelligence bias, data privacy, social media manipulation, remote work ethics
Technology changes, but underlying ethical dilemmas persist.
Most are highly applicable
Case Overview
Situation: Working on software, discover unfixable security hole
Potential Impact: Customer data at risk
My Role: Project Manager
OPTION 3: Follow Company Policy
Justification: Fulfill job contract, avoid personal liability
Ethical Theories:
Ethical Egoism (Self-preservation, less relevant as ethical theory for profession
ACM Imperatives:
2.1 Strive to achieve high quality (Might conflict with other imperatives)
Drawbacks: Neglects public safety, ignores professional responsibility
My choice and resoning
Balances transparency with responsible disclosure
Aligns with ACM 2, Avoid Harm and, Be Honest
I would choose option 2 (Report Privately, Fix Later)
OPTION 2: Report Privately, Fix Later
Ethical Theories:
Rule Utilitarianism (Benefit of organized process)
Social Contract Theory
ACM Imperatives:
2.2 Avoid harm
2.3 Be honest and trustworthy
Justification: Give company time to fix without panic
Drawbacks: Continued risk during fix period, potential for cover up