Curtin University Homepage
  • Library
  • Help
    • Admin

    espace - Curtin’s institutional repository

    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.
    View Item 
    • espace Home
    • espace
    • Curtin Research Publications
    • View Item
    • espace Home
    • espace
    • Curtin Research Publications
    • View Item

    Understanding Cybersecurity: Ethical and Conceptual Considerations

    89470.pdf (1.013Mb)
    Access Status
    Open access
    Authors
    Ford, Shannon
    Date
    2013
    Type
    Conference Paper
    
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Citation
    Ford, S. 2013. Understanding Cybersecurity: Ethical and Conceptual Considerations. In: 18th International Conference of the Society for Philosophy and Technology, 4th Jul 2013, Lisbon, Portugal.
    Source Conference
    18th International Conference of the Society for Philosophy and Technology
    Faculty
    Faculty of Humanities
    School
    School of Media, Creative Arts and Social Inquiry
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/89646
    Collection
    • Curtin Research Publications
    Abstract

    In this paper I provide an ethical and conceptual analysis of the emerging concern with ‘cybersecurity.’ My paper provides an opportunity to explore some key concepts relating to security in the ‘cyberrealm,’ where kinetic and informational threats are rapidly converging. I offer a way of clearing the conceptual space relating to cybersecurity by exploring both how the term is being used and how it can be used. First of all, I outline how cybersecurity (the systemised protection of individuals and states against cyberwarfare, cyberterrorism and cybercrime) is an increasingly prominent feature of the national security agenda. National governments, for instance, are becoming increasingly alarmed at the potential for serious attacks on cybersecurity and are responding accordingly. The Australian Government nominated ‘malicious cyber attacks’ as one of seven key national security risks in the recently released national security strategy and announced a new cybersecurity centre. And the U.S. Defense Department is set to more than quadruple its cyber forces over the next few years, in an effort to better protect critical networks and improve capacity for offensive cyber operations. Next I argue that an effective cybersecurity strategy requires clarification of certain key concepts. An effective response to emerging threats to cybersecurity requires a comprehensive understanding of the problem and its potential solutions. In particular, I argue, that it is an important task to establish a firm conceptual grasp on what we mean by the term ‘cybersecurity’ since many of the important conceptual aspects of cybersecurity remain unexamined. As a consequence, different people might be referring to different things when they discuss cybersecurity. A more conceptually rigorous approach to ‘cybersecurity’ will also help us to understand how the term should be used. Then, to demonstrate my point that clarifying the meaning of cybersecurity is an important task, I provide an analysis of the ethics of surveillance as it applies to different aspects of cybersecurity. The permissibility of surveillance depends on how we conceive of cybersecurity in terms of cyberwarfare, cyberterrorism, and cybercrime. Key to any aspect of security is the ability to anticipate threats and construct both passive (i.e. building defences) and active (i.e. neutralising threats) solutions. Anticipation in the cyberworld requires surveillance. Yet surveillance infringes on the rights of individuals and exposes security practices to internal threats. Furthermore, as a second example, I demonstrate that distinguishing between cyberwarfare, cyberterrorism, and cybercrime is an important policy issue because it helps determine which institutional mechanisms to use on a particular security threat, a problem which is increasingly compounded by changing understandings of war, terrorism, and criminality. Finally, I go on to consider two potential avenues for improving the conceptual clarity of cybersecurity. First, I examine cybersecurity in reference to the actor using the term. This approach considers how the term is used by a variety of actors with responsibilities for cybersecurity, including: IT professionals; government; military; police; private business and so on. Second, I examine cybersecurity in reference to the threat it describes. By providing a conceptual analysis of cybersecurity in terms of threat, the current and future technological and social developments that bear on cybersecurity practices can be systematically identified and analysed.

    Related items

    Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.

    • Maritime Supply Chain Security in the Indo-Pacific Region: Threats and Policy Implications for National Security and Resilience
      Nguyen, Hong-Oanh; Van Balen, Michael; Ingram, Aaron; Hurd, Stephen; Chheetri, Prem; Thai, Vinh; Warren, Matthew; Booi, Kam; Oloruntoba, Richard (2022)
      By volume, about 99% of Australia’s trade is carried by sea mainly through the Indo-Pacific region. Australia currently imports 90% of liquid fuel from other countries, primarily Japan, Korea and Singapore. Global shipping ...
    • A Unified Classification Model of Insider Threats to Information Security.
      Prabhu, sunitha; Thompson, Nik (2020)
      Prior work on insider threat classification has adopted a range of definitions, constructs, and terminology, making it challenging to compare studies. We address this issue by introducing a unified insider threat ...
    • The impact of Chinese auditors’ values on their ethical decision-making in China
      Fan, Ying Han (2008)
      This study involves a first attempt to identify Chinese auditors’ values and examines their effects on ethical ideologies and ethical judgments and intentions. A survey methodology is used and the survey instrument includes ...
    Advanced search

    Browse

    Communities & CollectionsIssue DateAuthorTitleSubjectDocument TypeThis CollectionIssue DateAuthorTitleSubjectDocument Type

    My Account

    Admin

    Statistics

    Most Popular ItemsStatistics by CountryMost Popular Authors

    Follow Curtin

    • 
    • 
    • 
    • 
    • 

    CRICOS Provider Code: 00301JABN: 99 143 842 569TEQSA: PRV12158

    Copyright | Disclaimer | Privacy statement | Accessibility

    Curtin would like to pay respect to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members of our community by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which the Perth campus is located, the Whadjuk people of the Nyungar Nation; and on our Kalgoorlie campus, the Wongutha people of the North-Eastern Goldfields.