First, they have an obligation to make certain that they can participate in the global economy to give their citizens the same chances for advancement as other nations. Secondly, they have a moral obligation to do everything possible to keep their citizens safe.
When one discusses the topic of security in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), much of the discussion focuses on the technology itself. Currently, the South African banking industry is attempting to establish standards that represent best practices in information security (Tshinu, Botha, and Herselman, 2008). These measures currently focus on the technological aspects of information security. However, the development of industry-wide best practices must take all sources of vulnerability into consideration, including the moral and ethical responsibility to keep information safe.
Therefore, the development of best practices cannot ignore the human factor in security and the division of responsibility between the banking institutions and the banking customers. This research will help it professionals in the banking industry to focus on all of the factors that affect information security, including human factor. The human factor cannot be ignored in the development of standards that pose a solution to the problems regarding information security in the South African banking system. One of the key issues is the shifting of responsibility in crime preventions. The citizens want to feel safe and as if they do not have to worry about their personal information. However, banks cannot do it without them. The citizens must take on a greater responsibility and help banks to fulfill their moral responsibility to keep their information safe. This research will argue that crime prevention is everyone's moral and ethical responsibility.
The scope of the problem is huge and affects all players in the banking industry. The size of the thefts that have occurred are overwhelming. In July of 2009, an SMS scandal involving Vodacom customers amounted in a multimillion-rand SMS authentication scam (the Star, 2009). This scam was one of the largest of its kind and demonstrates that even advanced SMS authentication processes are still vulnerable. They are a step above the username and password systems, but this crime demonstrates that even these systems are still vulnerable.
This scam was carried out using email and phishing to get the customer to divulge their username and password. The scammers masqueraded as a trustworthy source that fooled many customers. In this case, the customer was the one who took actions that caused the crime. If the banks are doing everything possible to prevent phishing sites, the question could be raised as to if they responsible when a customer voluntarily provides the phisher with information that leads to theft. The incidents of cyber crime that are occurring in South Africa are massive, both in the number of them that are occurring and in the amount of rands that are being compromised. This would be similar to a question of whether someone else is responsible if a person breaks into a house using a door that was left unlocked intentionally by the occupant. In these circumstances should the insurance pay. In many cases, they do not. So why should someone else pay for damage caused by information provided to a phisher? These are the moral and ethical questions that must be asked in order for South Africa to be ready for the leap into the global market. The scope of the problem makes it an important topic for study. The scope of the problem and the need to bring South Africa up to global standards is a key reason for the conduct of this study.
3. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
The theoretical framework is a group of unifying ideas that will govern the research process. The key guiding principle of the study will focus on the need to enhance the human factor in online banking security. It will focus on the need to balance the technological aspects of IS with the human factors. It will provide guidelines for the development of best practices that can be used by the South African banking industry to improve information security across the entire sector. It will address the questions of moral and ethical responsibility as outlined in the previous sections. The theoretical framework of the study is based on the guiding principle that increasing awareness regarding personal information, combined with the necessary technological advances will provide the best solution to improving information security in South Africa.
4. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research into the field of information security...
Ethical Issues in AIS Ethical Issues in Accounting Information Systems This essay examines ethical issues in accounting information systems as presented in the case of DHB Industries. Now known as Point Blank Solutions, the company, which supplied body armor to the U.S. military and law enforcement agencies, was charged by the SEC on March 1, 2011 for engaging in "massive accounting fraud" (SEC, 2011). The agency filed separate charges against three of
The company's consistent top line revenue growth also illustrates it has been successful in transforming its supplier network into one that operates more on knowledge, less on purely price or product decisions. As a result the company is capable of competing more at the process level and less at the purely price-driven one (Reese, 2007). In terms of the company's factors for success, the greater opportunities is to move into
Information Systems and Technology Involved With Solar Energy/Power Information Systems and Information Technology in Solar Power/Energy & Associated Challenges Solar energy is the contributor of approximately 94% of the world's energy although at first glance, much of that energy does not appear to be solar in nature. Solar cells, also known as photovoltaic cells, are our most identifiable effort to convert the sun's energy into electricity. They depend on a phenomenon known
Ethical Scenario Ethics is a term used to refer to the set of rules that help in determining right and wrong behavior during moral decision making. One of the major issues in Information Technology and Information Systems is computer ethics. This is primarily because the rapid technological advancements seem to enhance the likelihood of unethical use of computer devices and information systems. As these advancements continue to occur, it is expected
Ethical and Social Issues in Information Systems Page | WIPRO IT Business Solutions Green Initiatives by Wipro Green IT is defined as the study and practice of designing, manufacturing, using, and disposing of computers, servers and related components like monitors, printers, networking and communications devises and storage drives such that it has no impact on the environment. (Murugesan, San, 2008). The objective of green IT solutions is to: a) Reduce the application of hazardous
Creating Organizational Value through the Integration of Information Technology: A Management Perspective Change Management and the Construction of a Receptive Organization Transformational and Participative Leadership A Decentralized Organizational Culture Effective Utilization of Resources Simulations Performance Monitoring Systems Risk Management and Support Strategies When considering the ever-changing and highly competitive global landscape of business today, firms must stay at the cutting edge of their respective fields in order to sustain profitability in the long-term. With the current exponential growth
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now