ETHICS LEAKING OF CLASSIFIED INFORMATION

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES AND ETHICS
LEAKING OF CLASSIFIED INFORMATION
Date
Student
Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.............................................................................................................2
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS MADE...................................................3
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................4
ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION USING DOING ETHICS TECHNIQUES........................4
ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF AN ICT
PROFESSIONAL USING THE ACS CODE OF ETHICS.....................................................8
CONCLUSION BRINGING THE YWO ANALYSIS TOGETHER AND OVERALL
RECOMMENDATIONS.................................................................................................................9

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Classified information is information regarded as top secret for security agencies which is not to
be shared with unauthorized person's or foreign countries. This information when leaked can be a
big threat to the American peoples’ security. Despite U.S. government holding their security
secret so seriously and defining huge penalties associated with disclosure of the classified
information, security contractors continue to be reported having exposed these top secrets in
different situations. This paper looks at a case involving leaking of classified information in the
year 2013 by an employee of defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton by the name Edward
Snowden. The report analysis the codes of ethics by applying and comparing ACS code of ethics
and Doing ethics in relation to leaking U.S Government National Security Agency’s classified
security information. It caters for the American populace on how the situation should be handled
for the benefit of all the stakeholders.
1

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS MADE
ICT- Information Communication Technology
IT- Information Technology
NSA- National Security Agency
U.S- United States
ACS CODE OF ETHICs- Australian Computer Society
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INTRODUCTION
Code of ethics plays a significant purpose in a profession. The code provides a practical guide at
individual professional levels to members of a profession when faced with moral and ethical
dilemmas in a particular circumstance concerning their professional conduct. Codes can be
helpful in providing counsel when a professional is faced with a state of moral or ethical tension.
Codes of Ethics in a profession guide individuals on the steps to be taken when in the line of
duty. In instances where there is a need for revising the codes, involvement is considered through
individual members input in the grass-roots at organizational conferences, meetings and
workshops(Perron et al. 2010).If a professional is being charged with malpractices, codes can
help them and perhaps even in lawsuit, even if those practices may have resulted in
harm(Wachs2017). IT security personnel mostly access confidential data and have knowledge
about individuals’ organizations’ networks which gives them big powers in the companies
attached(Reynolds 2011). IT personnel can abuse these powers willingly or unaware. IT people
always have a privilege to work in any organization without a requirement of belonging to those
organizations. In this report I examine an employee ethical issues concerning leaking of
classified information in National Security Agenciesof the U.S. government. It answers the
questions of ethical consideration that benefit American people from a case study of leaking
classified information and whether there are laws that protect the leaking of information.
ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION USING DOING ETHICS TECHNIQUES
a).Happenings
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