Ethics and teaching information assurance

Abstract

Has the US become an ethically challenged nation? If so, what does that mean for information assurance (IA) educators? The annual Computer Security Institute (CSI)-Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Computer Crime Survey, typically a barometer of computer crime in the US, presents alarming statistics about rising digital crime rates over our public networks. The survey, which gathered voluntary responses firm US corporations and government agencies, reports that computer crime incidents are reaching epidemic proportions. The erosion of teaching and practicing ethics, coupled with the widespread belief that the Internet provides unbreakable anonymity for users, is a recipe for disaster. The paper discusses ethics in an IA curriculum and IA educational recommendations.