Canvas White Paper 1 – Cybersecurity and Ethics

69 Pages Posted: 28 Dec 2017

See all articles by Emad Yaghmaei

Emad Yaghmaei

Delft University of Technology

Ibo van de Poel

Delft University of Technology

Markus Christen

University of Zurich

Bert Gordijn

Dublin City University

Nadine Kleine

OTH Regensburg, Institute for Social Research and Technology Assessment (IST)

Michele Loi

Department of Mathematics, Politecnico di Milano

Gwenyth Morgan

Dublin City University

Karsten Weber

OTH Regensburg, Institute for Social Research and Technology Assessment (IST)

Date Written: October 4, 2017

Abstract

This White Paper outlines how the ethical discourse on cybersecurity has developed in the scientific literature, which ethical issues gained interest, which value conflicts are discussed, and where the “blind spots” in the current ethical discourse on cybersecurity are located. The White Paper is based on an extensive literature with a focus on three reference domains with unique types of value conflicts: health, business/finance and national security. For each domain, a systematic literature search has been performed and the identified papers have been analysed using qualitative and quantitative methods. An important observation is that the ethics of cybersecurity not an established subject. In all domains, cybersecurity is recognized as being an instrumental value, not an end in itself, which opens up the possibility of trade-offs with different values in different spheres. The most prominent common theme is the existence of trade-offs and even conflicts between reasonable goals, for example between usability and security, accessibility and security, privacy and convenience. Other prominent common themes are the importance of cybersecurity to sustain trust (in institutions), and the harmful effect of any loss of control over data.

Keywords: Cybersecurity, Ethics, Health, Finance, National Security

Suggested Citation

Yaghmaei, Emad and van de Poel, Ibo and Christen, Markus and Gordijn, Bert and Kleine, Nadine and Loi, Michele and Morgan, Gwenyth and Weber, Karsten, Canvas White Paper 1 – Cybersecurity and Ethics (October 4, 2017). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3091909 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3091909

Emad Yaghmaei

Delft University of Technology ( email )

Stevinweg 1
Stevinweg 1
Delft, 2628 CN
Netherlands

Ibo Van de Poel

Delft University of Technology ( email )

Stevinweg 1
Stevinweg 1
Delft, 2628 CN
Netherlands

Markus Christen (Contact Author)

University of Zurich ( email )

Rämistrasse 71
Zürich, CH-8006
Switzerland

Bert Gordijn

Dublin City University ( email )

Ireland 9
Dublin 9, leinster 9
Ireland

Nadine Kleine

OTH Regensburg, Institute for Social Research and Technology Assessment (IST) ( email )

Galgenbergstr
Regensburg

Michele Loi

Department of Mathematics, Politecnico di Milano ( email )

Milano, CH-8006
Italy

Gwenyth Morgan

Dublin City University ( email )

Ireland 9
Dublin 9, leinster 9
Ireland

Karsten Weber

OTH Regensburg, Institute for Social Research and Technology Assessment (IST) ( email )

Galgenbergstr
Regensburg

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