Information and Communication Technology Ethics

This article discusses the ethical issues related to information and communication technology. It analyzes the recent data breach of a multinational HR company called PageUp and provides perspectives from professional, philosophical, and sociological ethics. The article emphasizes the need for strong anti-theft software and a strong law to stop these threats.

Running Head: Information and Communication Technology Ethics
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Information and Communication Technology Ethics

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Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Professional Ethics Perspective..................................................................................................2
Philosophical Ethics Perspective................................................................................................3
Sociological Ethics Perspective.................................................................................................4
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................5
References..................................................................................................................................6

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Introduction
Information Communication and Technology has gone through some drastic
changes in the world. Through the fast internet, the access to information becomes very easy.
The world economic and social condition has totally changed due to the improved
technology. The users are unaware that how these companies such as Facebook to email
providers earn a profit. Companies that have access to a personal data of any user that comes
with a responsibility to put that data safe and secure. Recently in a recent case, it had revealed
that the personal details of job applicants, bank details, TFN potentially compromised by a
multinational HR company called PageUp (McGrath & Blumer, 2018). This was detected on
23rd may 2018 and confirmed on 28th may 2018 that the data of thousands of Australian had
been hacked (Duerden, 2018). On the probabilities that certain personal data related to the
clients, placement agencies, applicants, references and the data of their employees had access.
In a statement by CEO of PageUp said that employment contracts, tax file numbers, financial
information and other sensitive data have not been leaked.
Professional Ethics Perspective
It can say from the professionalism perspective that the company that uses
Communication and Information technology as a tool to run their business. It is very
necessary for them to have some professional ethics that to secure that data.
The HR Company called PageUp had compromised thousands of Australians personal
details (Davies, 2018). Many multinational companies used PageUP for a job application and
to manage their recruitment had been hacked. In which the personal details of job applicants
has been hacked such as bank details, birth date and TFN. It is required to do ethical analysis
that the loophole in their security can cause such a huge damage to the company. From
Professional perspective that the company has a huge data of user than it becomes the
responsibility of the company to keep it safe and secure (Lindley, 2018). This analysis can do
by security providers in whose hands there is a security of business and their clients to keep
them safe by modern anti-theft software. The company should focus on their security
standards and that cannot be compromised in any condition. This data leak of a company has
raised many professional and moral issues such as a privacy of thousands of Australian has
been infringed. This can cause a serious issue of data protection and what to done to stop

Information and Communication Technology Ethics 3
these advanced and unknown threats. The companies regularly misinformed about the
traditional antivirus and software they are using to stop these threats. In this alone PageUp
cannot be blamed, there is a need for accountability for security service providers who claim
to provide protection to businesses and their customers (Braue, 2018). There is highly
artificial intelligence that use by the hackers and it is required advanced security software.
The truth is that there is much better security software is there to deal with these threats. It is
necessary that the company should not use that sophisticated software
Philosophical Ethics Perspective
From the philosophical perspective as it is a broader concept than professional
perspective where the exact truth should be determined by rational means. It is required to
have a discipline in any activity and the methods to implement these disciplines become a
duty of any company to maintain. The PageUp data reach raises many questions about the
information technology that in a new technological world where the information becomes the
major source. These three constructed philosophical theories can answer the questions that
are metaphysics, epistemology and ethics. Philosophies of mind, language and science are
included in Metaphysics. Epistemology examines the cognitive contact with the world. Ethics
includes Philosophies of law, social and aesthetics.
The PageUp data had been hacked by the criminals by a malware attack. Inside the
PageUp system, some malicious code that has executed and the criminal may have access to
an amount of data. There is a malicious code executed inside the PageUp system and
criminals may have access to an amount of documentation said by the head of the Australian
cybersecurity centre. The PageUp is all-dependent on his data and it is a major source of
income for the company. The company cannot take an excuse that their data has been ,hacked
due to malware attack, there is no mistake of them and they cannot do anything to stop these
types of attacks. The truth is that they are using the sophisticated software that is not able to
deal with the software which the criminals or hacker used such as artificial intelligence. The
companies must follow the Philosophical ethics that not only guides the disciplines but also
the legal effects the of the act. The companies must guide their employees about the
philosophical ethics that this type of circumstance cannot appear in the future. Legal
implication is very necessary to secure the data and the criminals should fear to do such
actions. There is one implication, which the government has implemented in this year only. If
there is, a suspect of a data breach than the company should immediately inform the customer

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or clients whose data has been breached. The consumer bank detail has been suspected to
breach than he should immediately inform the bank. If TFN is leaked then, he should contact
the Australian Taxation Office (ABC News, 2018). To secure the data it is necessary for the
companies to implement the anti-theft software that to match those threats.
Sociological Ethics Perspective
The sociological perspective talks about the ethical values, which is very necessary to
protect human values. The human values such as happiness, life and security required to be
protected. Due to various data, breach cases in recent times made the user threatened for their
private data security. The threat from which PageUp data has leaked that has infringed the
society’s norms and values (Hoffmann, 2017). From the Sociological view, it is required to
do the ethical analysis. In the increasing technological advancement, there are certainly
ethical issues have been raised. PageUp data has leaked that creates a major issue that who
has the access to that data. Another issue is one who has the access to the data can misuse that
data to what extent. Now, what is the safeguards has provided to make the data secure while
sharing the private information. What to do if you fear your personal details may have
compromised. From the Sociological perspective, it is necessary to change the sophisticated
software used by the PageUp. A strong data protection security will have to adopt that in
future no type of data misuse can do by anyone. Those data that has leaked must inform
immediately and to stop the effects it is required to change the details that have leaked like
bank details- atm pin must be changed and must inform necessary authorities regarding the
data leak (ABC News, 2018). The government data had also been exposed in this data leak
and it is a big threat to a country’s security. Attorney-General department among the staff
data had been the victim. The job appliers are frightened to use this platform for job search.
This all required for ethical analysis and a strong law should be implemented to stop these
threats.
Information role has become so important that comes with the moral obligations
towards the society that the PageUp and the security providers who have the information of a
large number of Australian users to keep it safe and secure. It is a moral obligation of any
company to keep updated their anti-theft technology to keep the data safe.

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Conclusion
In conclusion, it can say that thousands of Australians data had been leaked due to
sophisticated software used by the company. This helps the criminals to access the data by
some malicious code that has executed inside the PageUp system. The personal information
like bank details, TFN and some other details of job applicants has leaked. It is required to
some strong anti-theft software should be used by the company which can deal with software
like artificial intelligence that has been used criminal to hack. The job appliers are frightened
to use this platform for job search. This all required for ethical analysis and a strong law
should be implemented to stop these threats it can say that information and communication
technology. It is a required of professional, philosophical and sociological perspective ethics
should be implemented. This perspective is required to stop these types of threats.

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References
ABC News. (2018). PageUp data breach: What to do if you fear your personal details may
have been compromised. Retrieved: From
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-06/what-to-do-job-seeker-privacy-breach/
9842474
Braue, D. (2018). As PageUp remediates its security breach, a reminder that times have
changed. Retrieved From: https://www.cso.com.au/article/642444/pageup-remediates-
its-security-breach-reminder-times-changed/
Davies, A. (2018). PageUp Data Breach: thousands of job seekers’ details potentially
exposed. Retrieved from:
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jun/07/thousands-of-job-seekers-
details-potentially-exposed-in-hack
Domanski, H. (2018). Australian Government department exposed in PageUp personal data
breach. Retrieved from: https://www.techradar.com/news/australian-government-
department-exposed-in-pageup-personal-data-breach
Duerden, J. (2018). Blame PageUp on security industry. Retrieved From:
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/technology/blame-pageup-breach-on-
security-industry/news-story/3c0dbe8865fe19e995ec740a4ee70339
Ess, C. M. (2017). Can we say anything ethical about Digital Religion? Philosophical and
methodological considerations. new media & society, 19(1), 34-42.
Hoffmann, A. L. (2017). Beyond distributions and primary goods: Assessing applications of
rawls in information science and technology literature since 1990. Journal of the
Association for Information Science and Technology, 68(7), 1601-1618.
Lindley, D. (2018). Professionalism in the information and communication technology
industry. Retrieved from
http://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/p223541/html/ch11.xhtml?
referer=371&page=25

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McGrath, P., & Blumer, C. (2018). Bank details, TFNs, personal details of job applicants
potentially compromised in major PageUp data breach. Retrieved from:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-06/australian-data-may-be-compromised-in-
pageup-security-breach/9840048
Mclean, A. (2018). Attorney General’s Department caught up in PageUp breach. Retrieved
From: https://www.zdnet.com/article/attorney-generals-department-caught-up-in-
pageup-breach/