Problem-Action-Consequence: Ethical Dilemma Analysis at CSU

This essay identifies and analyzes an ethical dilemma presented in a YouTube video, focusing on the delivery of software without proper encryption. Using the Problem-Action-Consequence Technique (PACT), the essay explores the ethical problems, responsibilities, and affected parties. It identifies the project manager as primarily responsible and the client as directly affected. The essay discusses project management strategies like the waterfall model, agile methodology, and SDLC to prevent such issues. It argues that delaying the project to ensure proper encryption is the best course of action, despite potential impacts on time and cost, emphasizing the importance of quality and stakeholder interests. The essay concludes that the project director should prioritize security, even if it means facing consequences related to project timelines and budget, to protect the organization's reputation and client data.

SCHOOL OF COMPUTING AND MATHS, Charles Sturt University
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Assignment 1: Problem-Action-Consequence Technique
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Word Count: 1080

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Introduction
The main issue when is being seen in the YouTube is that a software without proper
encryption attached to it is being delivered to the client. This can be an ethical problem as a
software, which is being delivered without encryption, can be problematic for the client to
which it is being delivered (Chen et al., 2016). In this case the project manager is directly
responsible as he has directed the project director to deliver the project without proper
encryption involved into the software.
Q1. What are the ethical problems you identified in your chosen YouTube video?
The ethical problem, which is being encountered in the video, is that software without
proper encryption implementation is being delivered to the client. This approach can be very
much problem for the client who is using the software. This can lead to hacking problem,
which is related to the software. The important data of the client might go into the hand of
hackers who can use them for their personal use (Ding et al., 2014). The encryption plays a
very vital role as it prevents the overall system from being hacked and as result of which the
data in the software would be kept secured all the time.
Q2. Why are these ethical problems?
This problem can be considered as ethical problem due to the factor that Software
being delivered to the client without proper encryption can lead to many problems. The
different problem that can be faced by the client due to this factor is that the encryption
process can help in securing the overall software and protect it from unethical issues. The
data of any organization who uses the software are very much crucial and if it gets into the
hand of unauthorized user, it would directly affect the working of the organization.
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Q3. Who is responsible for these problems?
The main person who is responsible for the issue is the project manager. The project
director is the overall coordinator of the project. The project director mainly incorporates the
decision of what should be done in the software and what should not be done in it. In this
case, the project director is mainly incorporating the decision of delivering the software
without proper encryption attached to it.
Q4. Who is affected by these problems?
The client is directly affected by it. This is due to the factor that if the software in
being incorporated without proper encryption it would be problem forms the user’s point of
view. The data, which is stored in the software, can be very much vulnerable to loss of data.
This data can directly affect the overall working of the organization that would be
incorporating the software (Kumar, Khan & Khan, 2015).
Q5. What project management strategies could have prevented these problems from
arising in the first place?
In project management, there are different strategies that can be incorporated. For
example, waterfall model can be best suited for the purpose of software development. It can
incorporate from basic requirement of the software to the overall budgeting and the time
framework. This process can directly help the project to be on time. Other processes can be
used for example agile methodology and SDLC (Scott-Hayward, Natarajan & Sezer, 2016).
Q6. Which of the three actions in your chosen YouTube video is better? Why?
Among the three options, which are stated in the video the best option should be that,
the project director ignore the recommendation of the project manager. The project director
can be considered all in all putting emphasis on the implementations that should be
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incorporated into the process of development. This option is selected due to the factor that if
the project is delivered without proper encryption involved into the process it can lead to
problem in the near future (Kosugi & Satoh, 2016).
Q7. What action, other than the three in your chosen YouTube video, can best resolve
the problems?
The best option other than the three solution stated in the video can be to delay the
delivery of the software. This can directly affect the time framework but on the other hand
the software would be very much involving the security aspects which play a vital role in any
software package.
Q8. Who should take the best action? Why?
The project director who is the main leader in any project development scheme should
take the best action. The project director knows the overall progress of the project from the
time of the initialization. Due to this factor, the project director can be the best representative
in this case.
Q9. What are the implications of the best action on the project’s time, cost and quality?
Project’s Time: The option which is selected for the process can affect the time framework
of the project. The delivery of the project can be delayed but on the other hand, it would
incorporate all the specification related to the security aspect (Ding et al., 2014).
Cost: Due to the factor, that the delivery would not be made on the time, which is estimated,
would affect the cost of the project. It would result in the deployment of the developers in the
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specific project for a longer period consuming the resources, which are needed for the
deployment of the project (Chen et al., 2016).
Quality: If the option which is selected is deployed it would result in no compromise in the
quality of the software. The software would be incorporating all the necessary encryption and
the security features so that it would not be a problem for the client who uses the software.
Q10.What are the consequences of the best action on the project stakeholders.
There would be a huge effect on the stakeholders. As the deadline would not be meet
the organizations, managers and the director would be answerable to the stakeholders. The
reputation of the company would be at stake, as the software would not be delivered to the
client on time. This could hamper the reputation of the organization as a whole (Kumar, Khan
& Khan, 2015).
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References
Braga, A. M., & Dahab, R. (2016, August). Towards a Methodology for the Development of
Secure Cryptographic Software. In Software Security and Assurance (ICSSA), 2016
International Conference on (pp. 25-30). IEEE.
Chen, M., Qian, Y., Mao, S., Tang, W., & Yang, X. (2016). Software-defined mobile
networks security. Mobile Networks and Applications, 21(5), 729-743.
Ding, A. Y., Crowcroft, J., Tarkoma, S., & Flinck, H. (2014). Software defined networking
for security enhancement in wireless mobile networks. Computer Networks, 66, 94-
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Garg, S., Gentry, C., Halevi, S., Raykova, M., Sahai, A., & Waters, B. (2016). Hiding secrets
in software: a cryptographic approach to program obfuscation. Communications of
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Garg, S., Gentry, C., Halevi, S., Raykova, M., Sahai, A., & Waters, B. (2016). Candidate
indistinguishability obfuscation and functional encryption for all circuits. SIAM
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Kosugi, M., & Satoh, A. (2016, October). GPGPU software implementation of authenticated
encryption algorithm Minalpher. In Consumer Electronics, 2016 IEEE 5th Global
Conference on (pp. 1-3). IEEE.
Kumar, R., Khan, S. A., & Khan, R. A. (2015). Revisiting software security: durability
perspective. International Journal of Hybrid Information Technology (SERSC), 8(2),
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Pires, R., Pasin, M., Felber, P., & Fetzer, C. (2016, November). Secure content-based routing
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Scott-Hayward, S., Natarajan, S., & Sezer, S. (2016). A survey of security in software
defined networks. IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials, 18(1), 623-654.
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