CHALLENGES AND BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES IN MANAGING INFORMATION

Today, public sector information managers are responsible for the collection, organization, maintenance, and dissemination of information by their respective government agencies and other public organizations. This role has assumed new importance and relevance in recent years as the flow of information continues to intensify. The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the scholarly literature concerning the ethical and legal issues and challenges that are involved in this calculus in part one, followed by a discussion of technology-related threats and challenges in part two. Finally, a discussion concerning relevant biblical principles in managing information in the public sector in part three which is followed by a summary of the research and important findings in the conclusion.

Part 1: Ethical/Legal Issues and Challenges

The major ethical and legal challenges and risks for abuse that must be taken into account in the collection, management, and use of information and technologies overalland in the public arena specifically, are multiple and each category of risk has its unique considerations. Although privacy and cybersecurity issues are ubiquitous, other challenges for public sector information managers include exercising appropriate control over information as well as determining its ownership. In addition, there are numerous legal and ethical issues involved in the proper management of public sector information (Sims et al., 2019). Although these legal issues vary by jurisdiction, they all focus on protecting the privacy of personal data from unwarranted government intrusion and ensuring its ultimate proper use and disposal, including digital versions of these data (Saldanha et al., 2022).

Likewise, the findings that emerged from a study by van Baalen (2022) identified three main ethical challenges with respect to the collection and administration of data. In this regard, van Baalen (2022) reports that, These ethical challenges relate to (i) informed consent and confidentiality, (ii) collecting, transferring and storing sensitive data, and (iii) maintaining personal security and integrity (p. 11). In other words, public sector information managers are charged with being good stewards of the data with which they are entrusted, and given the wide range of threats and risks that are arrayed against them, it is not surprising that breaches occur, including massively expensive ransomware attacks.

There are some steps that public sector information managers can take to help prevent unethical uses of data in general and especially in the public sector, though, including most especially ensuring that mechanisms are in place to establish accountability for data and to ensure that organizations are completely transparent about the information they collect and how it is used. In this regard, Svard (2019) emphasizes that, Accountability and transparency are central to public administrations' operations (p. 134). In addition, public sector information managers must remain vigilant in order to ensure that relevant laws are applied to digital environments in appropriate ways to protect the privacy of stakeholders (Saldanha et al., 2022). To help academics reflect on and mitigate these risks, the article underscores the importance of digital risk assessments (van Baalen, 2023). Against this backdrop, it is clear that modern public sector information management is confronted with a wide array of ethical and legal challenges, but there are a number of technology-related threats and challenges that are involved as well as discussed further in part two below.

Part 2: Technology-related Threats and Challenges

Although the supporting technologies that are involved can dramatically enhance the quality and efficiency of service delivery, the automation of public sector services in a digital environment introduces a number of threats and challenges to information managers (Baran et al., 2020). Further, security threats are significantly exacerbated when transforming public sector operations into a digital environment regardless of whether data is maintained in-house or through third-party providers (Giannikas et al., 2019). In fact, there are respective advantages and disadvantages to both in-house and third-party providers that must be taken into account depending on the public sector organizations specific situation.

Likewise, in a public sector context, even the transition process to a digital environment also invariably involves numerous security risks to data (Faro et al., 2022). While the technology-related threats and challenges that confront public sector information managers will vary depending on their unique circumstances and mission, some of the most prominent include those set forth in Table 1 below.

Table 1

Technology-related threats and...

…Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor's house, lest he have his fill of you and hate you. Applied to governmental agencies, this proscription underscores the importance of protecting the privacy of individual citizens from unwarranted intrusions.

Likewise, a biblical perspective also stresses the need for public officials to be willing servants of the people and good stewards of the taxpayer resourcs with which they have been entrusted. For example, 1 Peter 5:1-4 (ESV) states in part that, So I exhort you, shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. Similarly, 1 Corinthians 4:2 (ESV) clearly states that it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.

Given the frailties of the human condition, it is reasonable to suggest that even the most well-intentioned and principled public servants will fail to live up to the relevant biblical principles concerning the collection, management, and ethical use of information and technologies. Mistakes will inevitably be made, and some of them may be serious security breaches. Nevertheless, the foregoing general strategies provide a useful framework in which to prevent the misuse or abuse of information and to ensure the wise use of information and technology for the benefits of the entire body politic.

Conclusion

The research was consistent in showing that there are a number of legal and ethical issues involved in the proper management of public sector information which differ according to jurisdiction but all of which are concerned with protecting consumer privacy and ensuring the proper use of data during its use and while at rest as well as the eventual destruction of this information. The research also showed that there are multiple technology-related threats and challenges to the management of public sector information, all of which focus on weak security protocols that create system vulnerability. Finally, the research also showed that a biblical perspective provides a valuable framework for public sector information managers who are confronted with these and countless other dilemmas in their…