LESSON 2.1 | IT Professionals

• A partial list of IT specialists


  • Programmers
  • Systems analysts
  • Software engineers
  • Database administrators
  • Local area network (LAN) administrators
  • Chief information officers (CIOs)
• Legal perspective


  • IT workers are not recognized as professionals
  • Not licensed
  • IT workers are not liable for malpractice
• IT professionals have many different relationships with:

  • Employers
  • Clients
  • Suppliers
  • Other professionals
  • IT users
  • Society at large
• IT professionals


  must set an example and enforce policies regarding the ethical use of IT
• Software piracy


  • is the act of illegally making copies of software or enabling others to access software to which they are not entitled
  • is an area in which IT professionals can be tempted to violate laws and policies
• Business Software Alliance (BSA) 


  • Is a trade group that represents the world’s largest software and hardware manufacturers
  • Its mission is to stop the unauthorized copying of software produced by its members
• Trade secret


  • Information used in business
  • Generally unknown to the public
  • The company has taken strong measures to keep confidential
• Whistle-blowing


  Attracts attention to a negligent, illegal, unethical, abusive, or dangerous act that threatens the public interest
• Fraud


  • The crime of obtaining goods, services, or property through deception or trickery
  • is proven in court
• Breach of contract


  One party fails to meet the terms of a contract
• Bribery


  • Providing money, property, or favors to someone in business or government to obtain a business advantage
  • U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) makes it a crime to bribe a foreign official, a foreign political party official, or a candidate for foreign political office
• Professional code of ethics


  states the principles and core values that are essential to the work of a particular occupational group
• Most prominent organizations include:

  • Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
  • Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP)
  • Computer Society of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE-CS)
  • Project Management Institute (PMI)
• Certifications


  • Indicates a professional possesses a particular set of skills, knowledge, or abilities in the opinion of a certifying organization
  • Can also apply to products
  • Generally voluntary
  • Carries no requirement to adhere to a code of ethics
• Vendor certifications


  • Some certifications substantially improve IT workers’ salaries and career prospects
  • Relevant for narrowly defined roles
  • Or certain aspects of broader roles
  • Require passing a written exam
  • Workers are commonly recertified as newer technologies become available
• Industry association certifications


  • Require a certain level of experience and a broader perspective than vendor certifications
  • Lag in developing tests that cover new technologies
• Government Licensing


  Generally administered at the state level in the United States
• Negligence 


  has been defined as not doing something that a reasonable man would do or doing something that a reasonable man would not do
• Duty of care


  refers to the obligation to protect people against any unreasonable harm or risk
• Common Ethical Issues for users

  • Software piracy
  • Inappropriate use of computing resources
  • Inappropriate sharing of information
  • Private data
  • Confidential information