Module CS5052NI

Professional Issues, Ethics

and Computer Law
2020
A Gift of Fire
Fifth edition
Sara Baase
Chapter 9:
Professional Ethics and
Responsibilities
“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

Profession is a job or a career path that requires specialized

education and training.
4.1: Professional Ethics
Profession
● Requires certain skills and
training.
● Owning up to the
responsibilities and
obligations as an employee
towards the employer.

4.1: Professional Ethics

Example: Medical Code of Ethics
• Hippocratic Oath: created by American Medical Association in 1847.

• “Doctors and nurses must maintain patient confidentiality, respect the patient's dignity, be
honest in all professional interactions and respect all human rights”.

• Sometimes contradict, for example Euthanasia, when a patient with a terminal disease wishes
to prematurely end her life rather than suffer.

• While ending a life is a form of harm, but so is letting a patient suffer. Physicians are expected
to follow the law and seek changes in laws that are considered dissimilar to the benefit of
their patients.
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 Profession
● Requires certain skills and
training.
● Owning up to the responsibilities
and obligations as an employee
towards the employer.

4.1: Professional Ethics

 Professional Ethics
● The ideologies that we apply in our behaviour in the workplace.

● Relationships and responsibilities toward customers, clients, co-workers,

employees, employers, others who use one’s products and services, and
others whom they affect.
 Many professions have a code of ethics expected to abide by
 Medical doctors, Lawyers and judges
 Accountants
 The Chartered Institute for IT – British Computer Society (BCS)
 The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)

4.1: Professional Ethics

What is "Professional Ethics"?
 There are special aspects to making ethical decisions in a professional context
 Honesty is one of the most fundamental ethical values;
 However, many ethical problems are more subtle than the choice of being honest or
dishonest. Some ethical issues are controversial.
 Examples: In workplace what kinds of sites should, or should not a person visit?

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Computer Ethics
Special Responsibilities Facing Computer Professionals and Users
• Maintaining relationships with and responsibilities toward customers, clients,
coworkers, employees, and employers.
• Making critical decisions that have significant consequences for many people.
• Determining how to manage, select, or use computers in a professional
setting.

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Special Aspects of Computer Professionals
• Are experts in their field
• Knows Customers rely on their knowledge, expertise, and honesty
• Understand their products (and related risks) affect many people, some indirectly
• Follow good professional standards and practices.
• Professionals must maintain up to date knowledge and technology
• Educate the non-computer professional

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General Code of Ethics and Professional
Conduct
•  1. Be complete.

• 2. Be understanding.

• 3. Be respectful.

• 4. Choose your words carefully.

• 5. Don't harass.

• 6. Make differences into strengths.

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Professional Codes of Ethics
• Many professional organizations have codes of professional conduct.
• Provide a general statement of ethical values
• Remind people in the profession that ethical behavior is an essential part of their job
• Provide guidance for new or young members

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Guidelines for computer professionals
• Respect confidentiality

• Honest and fair

• Maintain professional competence

• Respect and protection of personal privacy

• Understand relevant law

• Avoid harming others

• Respect property rights.

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Organizations monitoring code of ethics
• ACM (Association for Computing Machinery)

• IEEE (Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Computer Society.

• They developed the Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice
(adopted jointly by the ACM and IEEE CS) and the ACM Code of Ethics and Professional
Conduct.

• The codes emphasize the basic ethical values of honesty and fairness, including
professional behavior,

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Ethical Guidelines for Computer
Professionals
1. Understand what success means: Developers (especially) and users of computer systems
must see beyond simply writing code to complete a task.

2. Design for Real Users: To provide useful systems, real users must be included in the design
stage. Include users (such as medical staff, technicians, pilots, office workers) in the design
stages

3. Thorough Planning and Scheduling: Do a thorough, careful job when planning and
scheduling a project and when writing bids or contracts

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Ethical Guidelines for Computer
Professionals
4. Test With Real Users: To provide safe systems, real users must be included in the testing
stage. Include users (such as medical staff, technicians, pilots, office workers) in the testing
stages to provide safe and useful systems

5. Evaluate Re-use of Software: Don’t assume existing software is safe and re-usable.

6. Candidness: Be open and honest about capabilities, safety, and limitations of software.

7. Protect: Require a convincing case for safety.

8. Pay attention to details

9. Develop communication skills

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Chartered Institute for IT - BCS Code of
Conduct
1. Sets out the professional standards required by BCS (British Computer Society) as a condition of
membership;
2. Applies to all members, irrespective of their membership grade
3. The purpose of a code of conduct is to develop and maintain a standard of conduct that is
acceptable to the company, its vendors, customers and other employees.
4. Governs the conduct of the individual, not the nature of the business or ethics of any Relevant
Authority. 
5. Members are expected to exercise their own judgement (which should be made in such a way
as to be reasonably justified) to meet the requirements of the code and seek advice if in doubt.

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BCS Code of Conduct
• The code comprises four key principles:
• You make IT for everyone: Public Interest

• Show what you know, learn what you don’t: Professional Competence and Integrity

• Respect organization or individual you work for: Duty to Relevant Authority

• Keep IT real. Keep IT professional. Pass IT on: Duty to Profession

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 Definitions of terms to follow
1. Legislation: “Any applicable laws, statutes and regulations”
2. Third Parties: “Any person or organisation that might be affected by your activities in your
professional capacity, irrespective of whether they are directly aware or involved in those activities”
3. Relevant Authority: “To identify the person(s) or organisation(s) which has / have authority over the activity
of individuals in their professional capacity.”
1. For practising BCS members, this is normally an employer or client.

2. For student members, this is normally an academic institution.

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Public Interest
You shall:
a.Have due regard for public health, privacy, security and wellbeing of others and the environment.
b.Have due regard for the legitimate rights of third parties.
c.Conduct your professional activities without discrimination on the grounds of sex, sexual
orientation, marital status, nationality, colour, race, ethnic origin, religion, age or disability, or of
any other condition or requirement 
d.Promote equal access to the benefits of it and seek to promote the inclusion of all sectors in
society wherever opportunities arise.

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Professional Competence and Integrity
You shall: d. Ensure that you have the knowledge and
understanding of legislation* and that you
a. Only undertake to do work or provide a service
comply with such legislation, in carrying out your
that is within your professional competence.
professional responsibilities. 
b. Not claim any level of competence that you do
e. Respect and value alternative viewpoints and,
not possess.
seek, accept and offer honest criticisms of work.
c. Develop your professional knowledge, skills and
f. Avoid injuring others, their property, reputation,
competence on a continuing basis, maintaining
or employment by false or malicious or
awareness of technological developments,
negligent action or inaction.
procedures, and standards that are relevant to
your field. g. Reject and will not make any offer of bribery or
unethical inducement

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 Duty to Relevant Authority
You shall:
c. Do not disclose or authorise to be disclosed, or use
a. Always carry out professional responsibilities with
for personal gain or to benefit a third party,
due care and diligence whilst exercising your
confidential information except with the permission
professional judgement.
of your relevant authority, or as required by
b. Avoid any situation that give rise to a conflict of
legislation
interest between you and your relevant authority.
d. NOT misrepresent or withhold information on the
c. Accept professional responsibility for your work and
performance of products, systems or services (unless
for the work of colleagues who are defined in each
lawfully bound by a duty of confidentiality not to
context as working under your supervision.
disclose such information) or take advantage of the
lack of relevant knowledge or inexperience of others.

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Duty to the Profession
You shall: d. Act with integrity and respect in your
professional relationships with all members
a. Accept your personal duty to uphold the of bcs and with members of other
reputation of the profession and not take professions with whom you work in a
any action which could bring the profession professional capacity.
into disrespect.
e. Notify BCS if convicted of a criminal offence
b. Seek to improve professional standards or upon becoming bankrupt or disqualified
through participation in their development, as a company director and in each case give
use and enforcement. details of the relevant jurisdiction.
c. Uphold the reputation and good standing of f. Encourage and support fellow members in
bcs, the chartered institute for it. their professional development

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Nepal’s Context
 Federation of Computer Association Nepal (CAN Federation)
 IT Professional Forum (ITPF)
 Sectorial Member of CAN Federation
 Forum of IT Nepal (FIT Nepal)

• Not functional anymore

 The Internet Service Providers’ Association of Nepal (ISPAN)

• Sectorial Member of CAN Federation

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CAN Federation
• Formed as CAN in May 1992 but was formally registered in December 1992

• Later registered as Federation of Computer Association Nepal (CAN Federation) in

January 2015

• Involvement of Professionals, Specialists, Institutions and related organizations from

ICT sector in Nepal.

• Autonomous, Non-political, Non-partisan, Non-profitable and service oriented sector

of ICT (Information and communications technology)

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 CAN Federation - Objectives
• To assist in Utilization, Enhancement and • To provide & protect rights and privileges, benefits
Promotion of Information and Computer to individuals, institutions, companies and
Technology within Country and to play as major organizations affiliated
body in facilitating private ICT organizations.
• To provide support & facilities to general, corporate
• To help develop strategies to meet necessary and honorary members.
requirements for development of literacy and
• To ensure ICT advocacy, advisory and
• skills regarding Computer Science. implementation with government coordination.

• To play as major body in facilitating private ICT • To assist in Institutional Development of

organizations. Information Communication Technology

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Any questions?

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