I must admit - as much as we all pontificate the fact remains, are we willing to give up our jobs to defend a moral standpoint? An 'illegal' act would be different………..wouldn't it?
Working for anyone will often challenge my morals! What would I say no to and stand fast? What would anyone-where the risk is too great? Where the voice of my conscience shouts too loud? I would find it hard to work for companies such as Boeing and others that create weapons which are used in the destruction of people. If I was already working for a company who suddenly decided to turn to making weapons then I'd be in a hard place.
If I had been working at Enron and they told me to delete files which could be later used against the company directors-what would I have done? I would love to think that I'd prefer being sacked in that situation. But I've found that the heavy hand of corporate politics and the hierarchies therein can be poisonously self-protective. ie pressure applied in the right places can be so effective.
I think that we need to make judgement calls like that on quite a regular basis-compromise or not? And those kind of decisions aren't limited to the work arena.
Thanks for some thought provoking trains of thought guys.
I think that the line is often determined by the percieved harm to others of our action or lack of it. There are situations where it is blatantly obvious that something should be done, but in the fraud situations, where the "harm" occurs either to the Gov't ( tax frauds ) or companies or very large groups of individuals ( shareholders ) it isn't so clear cut. Further, it is much harder to consider the _actual_ implications of _our_ _inaction_ than ascribing blame to others actions.
Certain ethical standards demand that one should act for "the greater good", however, where this leaves you if your morals and beliefs dictate that the tax money should not be spent on military action is very much open to personal interpretation.
This I feel leaves all of us only one course of action in any circumstances, and that is to follow the law to the letter, irregardless of its personal effect or global effect. One hopes that the people who define the law ( in the UK mostly by case precedent ) know what they are doing, and that the law will act to protect us when we do right by it ( employment law, unfair dismissal etc. ).
My opinions are solely my own, and to be honest, I can't say that I allways follow my own ethical suggestions, those I love will allways take precedence over others, as that is the nature of these things. I hope that it never collides in a serious issue. -P
Kind Regards to all.
Although this thread has developed in a different way than I thought, i am pleased that we have some thought provoking messages. We as computer forensic experts are in a very strong but very difficult position, our skills can be used for……..different tasks than we may have been employed to carry out.