Professional Code of Ethics: abstain from giving self- serving advice, and

offer warnings about the potential negative side

It is a set of guidelines which are designed to set effects of their actions. Thus, adherence to a
out acceptable behavior of member of a code of ethics enhances trust and respect for
particular group, association or profession. professionals and their profession.
A professional code of ethics states the 4. Evaluation Benchmark: a code of ethics
principles and core values that are essential to provides an evaluation benchmark that a
the work of a particular occupational group. professional can use as a means of self-
Practitioners in many professions subscribe to a assessment. Peers of the professional can also
code of ethics that governs their behavior. For use the code for recognition or censure.
example, doctors adhere to varying versions of Code of Ethics of the Filipino IT
the 2000-year-old Hippocratic Oath, which Professionals
medical schools offer as an affirmation to their
graduating classes. Most codes of ethics 1. I will promote public knowledge, understanding and
created by professional organizations have two appreciation of Information Technology.
main parts: (a) outlines what the organizations 2. I will consider the general welfare and public
welfare and public good in the performance of my
aspires to become, and (b) typically lists rules work.
and principles by which members of the 3. I will advertise goods or professional services in a
organization are expected to abide. Many codes clear and truthful manner.
also include a commitment to continuing 4. I will comply and strictly abide by the intellectual
education for those who practice the profession. property laws, patent laws and other related laws in
respect of Information Technology.
Laws do not provide a complete guide to ethical 5. I will accept the full responsibility for the work
behavior. Just because an activity is not defined undertaken and utilize my skills with competence and
as illegal does not mean it is ethical. You also professionalism.
cannot expect a professional code of ethics to 6. I will make truthful statements on my areas of
provide an answer to every ethical dilemma - no competence as well as the capabilities and qualities
code can be definitive collection of behavioral of my product and services.
7. I will not disclose or use any confidential
standards. However, following a professional
information obtained in course of professional duties
code of ethics can produce many benefits for the without the consent of the parties concerned except
individual, the profession and society as a when required by the laws.
whole: 8. I will strive to attain the highest quality in both the
products and services that offer.
1. Ethical Decision Making: adherence to 9. I will knowingly participate in the development of
professional code of ethics means that the Information Technology.
practitioners use a common set of core values 10. I will uphold and improve the IT professional's
and beliefs as a guideline for ethical decision standard through continuing profession in order to
making enhance the IT profession.
2. High Standards of Practice and Ethical
Code of Ethics of Association of Information
Behavior: adherence to a code of ethics reminds
Technology Professionals (AITP)
professionals of the responsibilities and duties
I acknowledge:
that they may be tempted to compromise to
meet the pressures of day-to-day business. The That I have an obligation to management,
code also defines behaviors that are acceptable therefore, I shall promote the understanding of
and unacceptable to guide professionals in their information processing methods and procedures to
interactions with others. Strong codes of ethics management using every resource at my command.
have procedures for censuring professionals for That I have an obligation to my fellow members,
serious violations, with penalties that can include therefore, I shall uphold the high ideals of AITP as
the loss of the right to practice. Such codes are outlined in the Association Bylaws. Further, I shall
the exception, however and few exist in the IT cooperate with my fellow members and shall treat
arena. them with honesty and respect at all times.
3. Trust and Respect from the General Public: That I have an obligation to society and will
public trust is built on the expectation that a participate to the best of my ability in the
professional will behave ethically. People must dissemination of knowledge pertaining to the general
often depend on the integrity and good development and understanding of information
judgments of a professional to tell the truth, processing. Further, I shall not use knowledge of a
confidential nature to further my personal interest, nor Principle 2: Client and Employer
shall I violate the privacy and confidentiality of
information entrusted to me or to which I may gain Software engineers shall act in a manner that is in the
access. best interests of their client and employer, consistent
with the public interest. In particular, software
That I have an obligation to my College or engineers shall, as appropriate:
University, therefore, I shall uphold its ethical and 2.01 Provide service in their areas of competence,
moral principles. being honest and forthright about any limitations of
their experience and education.
That I have an obligation to my employer whose 2.02 Not knowingly use software that is obtained or
trust I hold, therefore, I shall endeavor to retained either illegally or unethically.
discharge this obligation to the best of my ability 2.03 Use the property of the client or employer only in
to guard my employer's interests, and to advise ways properly authorized, and with the clients or
him or her wisely and honestly. employer's knowledge and consent.
2.04 Ensure that any document upon which they rely
That I have an obligation to my country, therefore, has been approved, when required, by someone
in my personal, business, and social contacts, I shall authorized to approve it.
uphold my nation and shall honor the chosen way of 2.05 Keep private any confidential information gained
life of my fellow citizens ze I accept these obligations in their professional work, where such confidentiality
as a personal responsibility and as a member of this is consistent with the public interest and consistent
Association. I shall actively discharge these with the law.
obligations and I dedicate myself to that end 2.06 Identify, document, collect evidence and report
to the client or the employer promptly it, in their
Principles opinion, a project is likely to fail, to prove too
Principle 1: Public expensive, to violate intellectual property law or
otherwise to be problematic.
Software engineers shall act consistently with the 2.07 Identity, document and report significant issues
public interest. In particular, software engineers shall, of social concern, of which they are aware, in
as appropriate: software or related documents, to the employer client.
1.01 Accept full responsibility for their own work. 2.08 Accept no outside work detrimental to the work
1.02 Moderate the interests of the software engineer, they perform for their primary employer.
the employer, the client and the users with the public 2.09 Promote no interest adverse to the employer or
good. client, unless a higher ethical concern is being
1.03 Approve software only if they have well-founded compromised; in that case, inform the employer or
belief that is safe, meets specifications, passes another appropriate authority of the ethical concern.
appropriate tests, and does not diminish quality of life,
diminish privacy or harm the environment. The Principle 3: Product
ultimate effect of be worked should be for the public
good. Software engineers shall ensure that their products
1.04 Disclose to appropriate persons or authorities and related modifications meet the highest
any actual or potential danger to the user, the public professional standards possible. In particular,
or the environment, that they reasonably believe to be software engineers shall, as appropriate:
associated with software or related documents. 3.01 Strive for high quality, acceptable cost and a
1.05 Cooperate in efforts to address matters of grave reasonable schedule, ensuring significant tradeoffs
public concern caused by software, its installation, are clear to and accepted by the employer and the
maintenance, support or documentation. client, and are available for consideration by the user
and the public
1.06 Be fair and avoid deception in all statements, 3.02 Ensure proper and achievable goals and
particularly public ones, concerning software or objectives for any project on which
related documents, methods and tolls. they work or propose.
1.07 Consider issues of physical disabilities, 3.03 Identify, define and address ethical, economic,
allocation of resources, economic disadvantage and cultural legal and environmental issues related to
other factors that can diminish access to the benefits work projects.
of software. 3.04 Ensure that they are qualified for any project on
1.08 Been courage to volunteer professional skills to which they work or propose to work by an appropriate
good causes and contribute to public education combination of education and training, and
concerning the discipline. experience.
3.05 Ensure an appropriate method is used for any
project on which they work or propose to work.
3.06 Work to follow professional standards, when
available, that are most appropriate for the task at
hand, departing from these only when ethically or
technically justified.
3.07 Strive to fully understand the specifications for which they work, including effective procedures for
software on which they work. promotion of quality and reduction of risk.
3.08 Ensure that specifications for software on which 5.02 Ensure that software engineers are informed of
they work have been well documented, satisfy the standards before being held to them.
user's requirements and have the appropriate 5.03 Ensure that software engineers know the
approvals. employer's policies and procedures for protecting
3,09 Ensure realistic quantitative estimates of cost, passwords files and information that is confidential to
scheduling, personnel, quality and outcomes on any the employer or confidential to others.
project on which they work or propose to work and 5.04 Assign work only after taking into account
provide an uncertainty on any project on which they appropriate contributions of education and experience
work or propose to work and provide an uncertainty tempered with a desire to further that education and
assessment of these estimates. experience.
3.10 Ensure adequate testing, debugging, and review 5.05 Ensure realistic quantitative estimates of cost,
of software and related documents on which they scheduling, personnel, quality and outcomes on any
work. project on which they work or propose to work and
3.11 Ensure adequate documentation, including provide an uncertainty assessment of these
significant problems discovered and solutions estimates.
adopted, for any project on which they work. 5.06 Attract potential software engineers only by a full
3.12 Work to develop software and related documents and accurate description of the conditions of
that respect the privacy of those who will be affected employment.
by that software. 5.07 Offer fair and just remuneration
3.13 Be careful to use only accurate data derived by 5.08 Not unjustly prevent someone from taking a
ethical and lawful means and use it only in ways position for which that person is suitably qualified.
properly authorized. Maintain the integrity of data, 5.09 Ensure that there is a fair agreement concerning
being sensitive to outdated or flawed occurrences. ownership of any software, processes, research,
3.14 Treat all forms of software maintenance with the writing or other intellectual property to which a
same professionalism as new development software engineer has contributed.
5.10 Provide for due process in hearing charges of
violation of an employer's policy or of this Code.
Principle 4: Judgment 5.11 Not ask a software engineer to do anything
inconsistent with this Code.
Software engineers shall maintain integrity and
5.12 Not punish anyone for expressing ethical
independence in their professional judgment. In
concerns about a project.
particular, software engineers shall, as appropriate:
4.01 Temper all technical judgments by the need to
support and maintain human values. Principle 6: Profession
4.02 Only endorse documents either prepared under
their supervision or within their areas of competence Software engineers shall advance the integrity and
and with which they are in agreement. reputation of the profession consistent with the public
4.03 Maintain professional objectivity with respect to interest. In particular, software engineers shall, as
any software or related documents they are asked to appropriate:
evaluate. 4.04 Not engage in deceptive financial 6.01 Help develop an organizational environment
practices such as bribery, double billing, or other favorable to acting ethically.
improper financial practices. 4.05 Disclose to all 6.02 Promote public knowledge of software
concerned parties those conflicts of interest that engineering.
cannot reasonably be avoided or escaped. 6.03 Extend software engineering knowledge by
4.06 Refuse to participate, as members or advisors in appropriate participation in professional organizations,
a private, governmental or professional body meetings and publications.
concerned with software related issues, in which they, 6.04 Support, as members of a profession, other
their employers or their clients have undisclosed software engineers striving to follow this Code.
potential conflicts of interest. 6.05 Not promote their own interest at the expense of
the profession, client or employer.
6.06 Obey all laws governing their work, unless in
Principle 5: Management exceptional circumstances, such compliance is
inconsistent with the public interest.
Software engineering managers and leaders 6.07 Be accurate in stating the characteristics of
shall subscribe to and promote an ethical software on which they work, avoiding not only false
approach to the management of software claims but also claims that might reasonably be
development and maintenance. In particular, supposed to be speculative, vacuous, deceptive,
those managing or leading software engineers misleading or doubtful.
shall, as appropriate: 6.08 Take responsibility for detecting, correcting and
5.01 Ensure good management for any project on reporting errors in software and associated
documents on which they work.
6.09 Ensure that clients, employers and supervisors 8.04 Improve their understanding of the software and
know of the software. engineer's commitment to this related documents on which they work and of the
Code of ethics and the subsequent ramifications of environment in which they will be used.
such commitment. 8.05 Improve their knowledge of relevant standards
and the law governing the software and related
6.10 Avoid associations with businesses and documents on which work.
organizations which are in conflict with this code. 8.06 Improve their knowledge of this Code, its
6.11 Recognize that violations of this Code are interpretation and its application to their work.
inconsistent with being a professional software 8.07 Not give unfair treatment to anyone because of
engineer. 6.12 Express concerns to the people any irrelevant prejudices.
involved when significant violations of this Code are 8.08 Not influence others to undertake any action that
detected unless this is impossible, counter-productive, involves a breach of this Code.
or 8.09 Recognize that personal violations of this Code
6.13 Report significant violations of this Code to are inconsistent with being a professional software
appropriate authorities when It is clear that engineer.
consultation with people involved in these significant
violations is impossible counter-productive or Strengths Weaknesses
dangerous.

Principle 7: Colleagues  Codes inspire  Directives

the members included in
Software engineers shall be fair to and supportive of
their colleagues. In particular, software engineers of a many codes
shall, as appropriate:
profession to tend to be too
7.01 Encourage colleagues to adhere to this Code.
7.02 Assist colleagues in professional development. behave general and
7.03 Credit fully the work of others and refrain from ethically. too vague.
taking undue credit.
7.04 Review the work of others in an objective, candid  Codes guide  Codes are not
and properly documented way. the members always helpful
7.05 Give a fair hearing to the opinions, concerns or
complaints of a colleague. of a when two or
7.06 Assist colleagues in being fully aware of current profession in more
standard work practices including policies and
ethical directives
procedures for protecting passwords, files and other
confidential information and security measures in choices. conflict.
general.
 Codes  A professional
7.07 Not unfairly intervene in the career of any
colleague; however, concerns of the employer the educate the code's
client or public interest may compel software members of directives are
engineers in good faith to question the competence of
a colleague. profession never
7.08 In situations outside of their own areas of about their complete or
competence call upon the opinions of other
professionals who have competence in that area. professional exhaustive.
obligations.  Codes are
Principle 8 : Self
 Codes ineffective
Software engineers shall participate in lifelong
discipline (have no
learning regarding the practice of their profession and
shall promote an ethical approach to the practice of members "teeth") in
the profession. In particular, software engineers shall when they disciplinary
continually endeavor to:
violate one or matters.
8.01 Further their knowledge of developments in the
analysis, specification, design, development, more of the  Directives in
maintenance and testing of software and related code's codes are
documents, together with the management of the
directives. sometimes
development process.
8.02 Improve their ability to create safe, reliable, and  Codes inconsistent
useful quality software at reasonable cost and within a "sensitize" with one
reasonable time.
8.03 Improve their ability to produce accurate, members of a another.
informative, and well-written documentation.
 space to set a clear example as to how a functioning
profession to  Codes do not
element of society can prosper with equal rights and
ethical issues always free speech to all.
4. We believe: That hacking is a tool that should and
and alert them distinguish
is used to test the integrity of networks that hold and
to ethical between safe guard our valuable information.
aspects they microethics
5. We believe: Those sovereign countries in the world
community that do not respect democracy should be
otherwise issues and punished.
might macroethics 6. We believe: That art, music, politics, and crucial
social elements of all world societies can be achieved
overlook. issues. on the computer and in cyber space.
 Codes inform  Codes can be 7. We believe: That hacking, cracking, and phreaking
are instruments that can achieve three crucial goals:
the public self-serving a. Direct Democracy in cyber space. b. The belief that
about the for the information should be free to all. c. The idea that one
can test and know the dangers and exploits of
nature and profession.
systems that store the individuals' information.
roles of the 8. We believe: That cyber space should be a
governing body in the world community, where people
professions.
of all nations and cultures can express their ideas and
 Codes beliefs has to how our world politics should be played.
enhance the 9. We believe: That there should be no governing
social or political class or party in cyber space.
profession in 10. We believe: That the current status of the internet
the eye of the is a clear example as to how many races, cultures,
and peoples can communicate freely and without
public. friction or conflict.
11. We believe: In free enterprise and friction free
capitalism.
12. We believe: In the open source movement fully,
The Ten Commandments as no government should adopt commercial or priced
software for it shows that a government may be
The Ten Commandments of computer ethics have biased to something that does not prompt the general
been defined by the Computer Ethics Institute. Here is welfare of the technology market and slows or stops
our interpretation of them: the innovation of other smaller company's products.
1. Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other 13. We believe: That technology can be wielded for
people. the better placement of man kind and the environment
2. Thou shalt not interfere with other people's we live in.
computer work 14. We believe: That all sovereign countries in the
3. Thou shalt not snoop around in other people's files. world community should respect these principles and
4. Thou shalt not use a computer to steal. ideas released in this constitution.
5. Thou shalt not use a computer to bear false
witness. The above declared constitution is like a bill of rights
6. Thou shalt not use or copy software for which you which should be read in relation to the ten
have not paid. commandments.
7. Thou shalt not use other people's computer
resources without authorization
8. Thou shalt not appropriate other people's What is Computer Ethics?
intellectual output.
9. Thou shalt think about the social consequences of It is a new branch of ethics that is growing and
the program you write. changing rapidly as computer technology also grows
10. Thou shalt use a computer in ways that show and develops. The term "computer ethics" is open to
consideration and respect. interpretations both broad and narrow. On the one
hand, for example, computer ethics might be
The Hacking Community's Constitution: understood very narrowly as the efforts of
1. We believe: That every individual should have the professional philosophers to apply traditional ethical
right to free speech in cyber space. theories like utilitarianism, Kantianism, or other moral
2. We believe: That every individual should be free of theories to issues regarding the use of computer
worry when pertaining to oppressive governments technology. On the other hand, it is possible to
that control cyber space. construe computer ethics in a very broad way to
3. We believe: That democracy should exist in cyber include, as well, standards of professional practice,
codes of conduct, aspects of computer law, public very powerful and suggestive. It is broad enough to
policy, corporate ethics--even certain topics in the be compatible with a wide range of philosophical
sociology and psychology of computing. theories and methodologies, and it is rooted in a
perceptive understanding of how technological
In the industrialized nations of the world, the revolutions proceed.
"information revolution" already has significantly
altered many aspects of life -- in banking and Moor argues that computer ethics is unique because
commerce, work and employment, medical care, computers have certain properties that raise unique
national defense, transportation and entertainment. issues and, according to Moor there are three
Consequently, information technology has begun to properties that make computers a special case:
affect (in both good and bad ways) community life,
family life, human relationships, education, freedom,
democracy, and so on (to name a few examples).
Computer ethics in the broadest sense can be
understood as that branch of applied ethics which
studies and analyzes such social and ethical impacts
of information technology.
In recent years, this robust new field has led to new
university courses, conferences, workshops,
professional organizations, curriculum materials,
books, articles, journals, and research centers. And in
the age of the world-wide-web, computer ethics is Figure 1.0: Moor makes the case that characteristics of
computer-based technologies are such that they raise ethical
quickly being transformed into "global information issues that are somewhat unique. Others have suggested
ethics". that computeris no different from any other branch of
professional ethics.
Computer ethics deals with practical problems and
focuses on the nature of moral action and Logical Malleability:
responsibility: How do I know whether or not an action
is morally right or wrong? Computers can be shaped and molded to perform any
activity that can be characterized in terms of inputs ,
Problem in Computer Ethics outputs and connecting logical operations. This is in
contrast to the majority of manufactured products. For
A typical problem in Computer Ethics arises because example, a car, television or refrigerator has well-
there is a policy vacuum about how computer defined and quite specific functions. The logic of
technology should be used. Computers provide us computers, however, can be shaped in infinite ways
with new capabilities and these in turn give us new through changes in hardware and software and in
choices for action. Often, either no policies for terms of their usage. This enables computer-based
conduct in these situations exist or existing policies technologies to exhibit tremendous flexibility.
seem inadequate. A central task of Computer Ethics
is to determine what we should do in such cases, that Invisibility Factor:
is, formulate policies to guide our actions.... One
difficulty is that along with a policy vacuum there is An important fact about computers is that most of the
often a conceptual vacuum. Although a problem in time, and under most conditions, computer operations
Computer Ethics may seem clear initially, a little are invisible. Moor identifies three kinds of invisibility
reflection reveals a conceptual muddle. What is that can have ethical significance:
needed in such cases is an analysis that provides a
coherent conceptual framework within which to 1. Invisible abuse: Moor describes this as: "the
formulate a policy for action. (Moor 1985, p. 266) intentional use of the invisible operations of a
Moor said that computer technology is genuinely computer to engage in unethical conduct". He cites an
revolutionary because it is "logically malleable" examples:
The programmer who realized he could steal
According to Moor, the computer revolution will occur excess interest from a bank. When interest on a bank
in two stages. The first stage is that of "technological account calculated, there is often a fraction of a cent left
introduction" in which computer technology is over after rounding off. This programmer instructed a
developed and refined. This already occurred during computer to deposit these fractions of a cent to his own
the first 40 years after the Second World War. The account.
second stage - one that the industrialized world has The invasion of the property and privacy of
only recently entered - is that of "technological others, computers can be programmed to surreptitiously
permeation" in which technology gets integrated into remove or alter confidential information.
everyday human activities and into social institutions, 2. Invisible programming values: these are values
changing the very meaning of fundamental concepts, which, according to Moor, are embedded into a
such as "money," "education," "work," and "fair computer program:
elections." Moor's way of defining computer ethics is A programmer makes some value judgments
about what is important and what is not. These values not attempt to apply the tools and procedures of a
become embedded in the final product and may be invisible professional philosopher or lawyer or social scientist.
to someone who runs the program. Rather, he or she makes preliminary assessments
3. Invisible complex calculation: in this context, Moor and identifications of computer ethics cases,
writes: compares them with others, suggests possible
Computer today are capable of enormous analyses.
calculations beyond human comprehension. Even if a
program is understood, it does not follow that the The third level of computer ethics I call "theoretical"
respective calculations are understood. Computers today computer ethics, because it applies scholarly theories
perform...calculations which are too complex for human to computer ethics cases and concepts. Someone
inspection and understanding. proficient in "theoretical" computer ethics would be
able not only to identify, clarify, compare
He argues that the issue is how much we should trust
computer's invisible calculation. This becomes a Moral Responsibilities of Computer
significant issue as the consequences grow in Professionals
importance. For example:
Computers are used by the military in making Some ethicists believe that all professionals,
decisions about launching nuclear weapons. On the one regardless of their practice, have special moral
hand, computers are fallible and there may not be time to obligations as professionals. For example, Michael
confirm their assessment of the situation. On the other Bayles (2003) argues that professionals have a
hand, making decisions about launching nuclear weapons special obligation to their clients to be worthy of a
without using computers may be even more fallible and client's trust, and this, Bayles further suggests, leads
more dangerous. What should be our policy about trusting to obligations of honesty, candor, competence,
invisible calculation? diligence, loyalty and discretion. In Bayles's scheme,
all professionals who work in the computing field
Three "Levels" of Computex Ethics would be bound to similar standards of obligations to
their clients, regardless of their specific professional
Computer ethics questions can be raised and studied type. Many computer professionals are software
at various "levels." And each level is vital to the engineers or members of software engineering teams.
overall goal of protecting and advancing human Gotterbarn (2001) believes that because software
values. On the most basic level, computer ethics tries engineers and their teams are responsible for
to sensitize people to the fact that computer developing safety-critical systems, they have
technology has social and ethical consequences. significant opportunities to:
This is the overall goal of what some call "pop"
computer ethics. Newspapers, magazines and TV  Do good or cause harm
news programs have engaged increasingly in
computer ethics of this sort. Every week, there are  Enable others to do good or cause harm
news stories about computer viruses, or software  Influence others to do good or cause
ownership law suits, or computer-aided bank robbery,
harm
or harmful computer malfunctions, or computerized
weapons, etc. As the social impact of information
technology grows, such articles will proliferate. That's Thus, Gotterbarn suggests that the roles and
good! The public at large should be sensitized to the responsibilities involved in the development of safety-
fact that computer technology can threaten human critical systems are a differentiating factor. Kevin
values as well as advance them. Bowyer (2001) points out that the phrase "safety-
critical system" is often used to refer to computer
The second "level" of computer ethics can be called systems that can have a "direct life-threatening
"para" computer ethics. Someone who takes a special impact". Examples of safety-critical software
interest in computer ethics cases, collects examples, applications typically include:
clarifies them, looks for similarities and differences,
reads related works, attends relevant events, and so
on, is learning "para" computer ethics. (I've borrowed  aircraft and air traffic control systems
this term from Keith Miller, who is the first person I  mass transportation systems
ever heard use it.) By analogy with a para medic -
who is not a physician, but who does have some  nuclear reactors
technical medical knowledge -a "para" computer  missile systems medical treatment
ethicist is not a professional ethicist, but does have
some relevant special knowledge. A para medic, of systems
course, cannot do all that a physician does, but he or
she can make preliminary medical assessments,
administer first aid and provide rudimentary medical
assistance. Similarly, a "para" computer ethicist does