IT Professionalism: Ethics, Legal Compliance, and Green Computing
1. IT Professionals and Society
Significance of IT in Society
- IT is now fundamental to modern society, serving as infrastructure for the “e-generation.”
- It has profoundly changed people’s habits, influencing culture and lifestyle.
Organizational Structure of a Typical IT Department
- Application Development: Focuses on creating and maintaining software applications.
- Technical/Application Support: Provides technical assistance and resolves issues related to applications.
- IT Services Support: Manages and supports various IT services within an organization.
IT Jobs and Professionalism
- Trends in IT Industries: The IT sector is dynamic, with continuous evolution in job roles and demands.
- Characteristics and Roles of IT Professionals (ITP): IT professionals are crucial for implementing and managing technology.
- Professional Bodies in the IT Sector: Organizations like the Hong Kong Institute for IT Professional Certification (HKITPC) aim to raise the competency and professionalism of IT professionals through certification schemes.
- Mandatory Licensing and Certified Professional of IT (CPIT) under the HKITPC:
- The CPIT title has been formalized in the UK, similar to Chartered Engineers or Certified Accountants.
- The HKITPC was founded in May 2007 to establish a professional certification system sponsored by the Hong Kong SAR Government.
2. Continuous Professional Development (CPD) and Ethics
Definition of CPD
CPD is a systematic process to maintain, improve, and broaden an individual’s skills and knowledge necessary for professional duties.
Needs for CPD in the IT Sector
- IT is an ever-evolving field, necessitating continuous learning to maintain current knowledge.
- The vast scope and complexity of the IT sector necessitate that professionals continuously improve and broaden their expertise.
- Many professional bodies in IT regard CPD as essential for a responsible IT professional.
Benefits of CPD
- For the Professional: Helps maintain professional knowledge and skills.
- For the Employer: Enables professionals to meet increased responsibilities and expectations, and apply the latest technology for the employer’s benefit.
- For Society: Provides reasonable assurance that professional services are carried out competently and ensures awareness of societal expectations and demands.
Typical CPD Activities for IT Professionals
- Enrolling in courses offered by recognized professional societies, education/training providers, or internal company development programs.
- Attending professional activities such as conferences, seminars, workshops, and visits.
- Participating in professional services, including committee work, education/training (e.g., mentoring), and research publications.
- CPD is often mandatory, with a typical requirement of a minimum of 60 CPD hours every two years for many professional bodies.
Code of Ethics, Conduct, and Practice
- Purpose of Codes:
- Serve as guidelines for handling difficult situations.
- Inform the public about professional standards.
- Set baseline practices for professionals.
- Code of Ethics: Principle-based, providing broad principles and directives (e.g., honesty, integrity, fairness).
- Code of Conduct: Rule-based, offering formal guidelines for behavior (e.g., specific rules on accepting gifts).
- Code of Practices: Mandatory guidelines, often required for professional licensing and specifying technical standards.
- Purpose of Codes:
3. Ethics and Social Responsibility
Definition of Ethics
- The moral foundation of human beings, establishing boundaries for actions.
- Principles that are presented or displayed through conduct that is right, good, and proper.
- Standards, or beliefs and values, that guide conduct, behavior, and activities.
Legal vs. Ethical
- There is a “grey area” where something can be legal but unethical, or ethical but illegal.
- Understanding the distinction is crucial for IT professionals.
Levels of Ethics
- Personal Level: Individual moral principles guiding personal decisions.
- Corporate Level: Ethical standards and policies within an organization.
- Society Level: Broad ethical norms and values accepted by a community or nation.
Ethical Theories
- Confucianism (儒家思想): Emphasizes moral cultivation, family loyalty, and respect for authority.
- Kantianism (康德主義): Focuses on duties and universal moral laws (e.g., categorical imperative).
- Utilitarianism (效益主義): Aims for the greatest good for the greatest number, based on consequences.
- Moral Relativism (道德的相對主義): Suggests that moral judgments are true or false only relative to some particular standpoint (e.g., cultural or individual).
Steps to Make Ethical Decisions
Informal & Formal Guidelines
- Informal Guidelines: Include the “Sunshine Test” (would you be comfortable if your actions were public?) and the “Reciprocal Test” (would you want someone to do this to you?).
- Formal Guidelines: Often involve corporate policies, handbooks, and codes of ethics.
Four Steps for Decision Making
- Understand: Clearly identify the ethical dilemma.
- Isolate: Separate the ethical issues from other concerns.
- Analyze: Examine the situation using ethical theories and guidelines.
- Make Decision: Choose the most ethical course of action.
4. Legal Compliance for IT Professionals
IT Crimes
- Definition: Computer crimes fall into two categories:
- Computers as Tools for Crime: Unauthorized or illegal activities committed via computer systems (e.g., IPR violation on the internet, using phishing websites, printing bogus bank notes with color printers).
- Computers as Targets of Attack: Damage or theft of computer hardware and information stored inside a computer (e.g., stealing hardware, DDoS attacks, abusing data).
- Typical Crimes Requiring IT Skills: Unauthorized access, fraud, sabotage, and hacking (including viruses and worms).
- Prevention:
- Technical Measures: Better authentication mechanisms, encryption, crypto-systems, firewalls, and VPNs.
- Non-technical Measures:
- Personal Level: Good personal practices, such as installing personal firewalls, regularly updating anti-virus software, installing OS patches, and being alert to suspicious emails, websites, or hyperlinks.
- Corporate Level: Issuing policies and guidelines to control the behavior of all staff, and providing education and awareness training to related staff.
- Definition: Computer crimes fall into two categories:
Data Privacy and Protection
- Privacy: A fundamental human right, involving freedom from interference in one’s personal affairs, including access to and control of personal information. Misuse of privacy can erode trust.
- Privacy-Invasion Technologies (PITs): Technologies that can negatively impact privacy depending on their application. Examples include video surveillance, location tracking (GPS, NFC), and spyware (tracking cookies, Trojans). Violations can occur through data gathering, data exchange, and data mining.
- Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (PDPO) in HK:
- Governs the collection, retention, use, security, openness, and access of personal data.
- IT professionals are often major data users, making their adherence to PDPO crucial.
- Spamming and Telemarketing: Regulated by the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Ordinance (UEMO), which mandates an “opt-out” option for receivers of unsolicited electronic messages.
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)
- Importance:
- Protects freedom of expression.
- Creates a free and fair business environment to encourage creativity, vital for Hong Kong’s creative industry (e.g., movies, music, graphics design).
- Protects the efforts and hard work of IT practitioners, allowing them to be rewarded for software development, website development, computer games, and animation work.
- Four Major Types in HK:
- Trademarks (商標): A mark, phrase, sign, or logo used to identify or distinguish goods/services.
- Patents (專利): Protects new inventions.
- Registered Design (外觀設計): Protects the aesthetic appearance of a product.
- Copyright (版權): Protects original literary, dramatic, musical, or artistic works.
- Relevant Departments in HK:
- Intellectual Property Department (知識產權署): Advises on policies and legislation, and promotes IPR protection through public education.
- Customs and Excise Department (香港海關): Enforces criminal aspects of IPR infringement with powers of search and seizure, cooperating with overseas authorities.
- Importance:
Equality and Anti-Discrimination
- Discrimination: Bias against a person based on personal judgment or values. It can be based on factors such as race, color of skin, ethnicity, age, sex, sexual orientation, family status, religion, and creed.
- Equality of Opportunity: While absolute equality is not practical due to inherent differences, everyone should be given equal means to develop their potential and capabilities.
- Four Anti-Discrimination Ordinances in HK:
- Sex Discrimination Ordinance (SDO) (1996): Prohibits discrimination on the grounds of sex, marital status, and pregnancy.
- Disability Discrimination Ordinance (DDO) (1996): Prohibits discrimination on the ground of a person’s disability.
- Family Status Discrimination Ordinance (FSDO) (1997): Prohibits discrimination on the ground of family status.
- Race Discrimination Ordinance (RDO) (2009): Prohibits discrimination on the ground of race.
- Five Types of Unlawful Behaviors: Direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, harassment, vilification, and victimization.
- Role of IT Professionals:
- Designers: Provide general advice for website, software, and hardware designers, including considerations for accessibility (e.g., Braille input/output, large fonts, good contrast, audio input).
- Content & Behavior: Avoid vilification, human flesh search (doxing), and cyberbullying.
- Support: Develop IT tools to support persons with disabilities, such as better visual interfaces, Braille input/output, and voice input.
5. Health, Safety, and Ergonomics
Stress and Health Hazards
- Short-term Stress: The “fight-or-flight” response is not a health hazard; immediate biological reactions like increased heartbeat and sweating prepare the body to confront or flee.
- Long-term Stress: A health hazard that can weaken the immune system and lead to chronic conditions.
- Syndromes: Depression, exhaustion, dyspepsia, high blood pressure, headaches, insomnia, gastritis, ulcers, and coronary disease.
- Sources of Stress for IT Professionals:
- Physical Factors: Related to workstation/environment conditions such as temperature, humidity, noise, strong lights, vibration, and prolonged/tensed posture in front of a computer screen.
- Mental Factors: Intensive mental work, tight schedules, and being overly involved in tasks.
- Personal Work Habits: Inappropriate sleep patterns (due to project deadlines, different time zones), excessive use of stimulant substances (tobacco, coffee, energy drinks), and lack of exercise due to prolonged sitting.
- Nature of the Industry: Very competitive market with short product cycles, highly competitive industry with heavy responsibilities, and a competitive culture due to rapid technological advancements requiring continuous learning.
i-injuries
- Injuries resulting from incorrect or prolonged use of smart devices, particularly severe for IT professionals and young people.
- Syndromes: Injuries to fingers, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), neck and back pain, and eye problems like glaucoma and degeneration of the macula.
- Avoidance: Acknowledge the problem and use smart devices correctly.
Occupational Safety and Health (DSE) Regulation
The Occupational Safety and Health (Display Screen Equipment) Regulation [OSH(DSE)] covers various aspects of the IT workplace to ensure safety and health.
- Display Screen: Regulations specify requirements for display screens, including aspects like luminance, reflection, and intensity.
- Workstation: Includes the computer (keyboard, mouse), furniture (work surface, chair, footrest), and peripherals (document holders, printers).
- Work Environment: Addresses lighting conditions, temperature (20–26°C), humidity (40–70%), noise levels (below 60 dB(A)), and sufficient fresh air ventilation.
6. Environmental Responsibility and Green IT
Greenhouse Effect, Global Warming, and Climate Change
- Climate change is considered one of the biggest threats to mankind.
- Over the past 100 years, global temperature has increased by an average of 0.6°C.
- The main cause of global warming is the Greenhouse Effect, caused by human activities like coal burning power plants, exhaust gases from petroleum-based automobiles, factories, waste vents, deforestation, and agricultural activities.
- Greenhouse Gas (GHG): Gases in the atmosphere that absorb and emit radiation within the thermal infrared range.
- Major GHGs include 72% Carbon Dioxide (CO2), 18% Methane (CH4), 9% Nitrous Oxide (N2O), and 1% others (CFCs, Ozone O3).
- About 1% of total GHG (0.5 billion tons) is related to IT.
- Power stations contribute an average of 21% of GHG, and IT equipment/activities use about 5% of household and business electricity.
Green IT / Green Computing
The study and practice of using computing resources efficiently to achieve goals of:
- Reducing GHG.
- Reducing pollution and e-waste.
- Reducing running costs.
General Principles
- Reduce GHG: Maximize energy efficiency during a product’s lifetime.
- Reduce Pollution and E-waste: Reduce hazardous materials and promote recyclability/biodegradability of defunct products and factory waste.
- Reduce Running Cost: Reduce the need for cooling, lighting, and hardware.
Target of Green IT in GHG reduction: Many companies aim for a 10% saving in electricity from IT equipment, which could reduce 50 million tons of GHG annually and result in building 40 fewer fossil fuel-based power plants.
Triple Bottom Line (TBL)
Green computing advocates balancing three factors:
- Planet (Ecological performance): Sustainable environmental practices by reducing ecological footprint (e.g., careful energy consumption, reducing manufacturing waste, safe disposal of toxic waste).
- People (Social performance): Treating stakeholders (suppliers, labor) fairly.
- Profit (Financial performance): Economic benefit not only for shareholders but also for the host society with lasting economic impact.
Carbon Footprint and Carbon Offset
- Carbon Footprint: The total set of GHG emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organization, event, or product. Measured in tons (or kg) of CO2 equivalent.
- Primary Footprint: Direct GHG emissions from burning fossil fuels (e.g., domestic energy consumption, transportation).
- Secondary Footprint: Indirect GHG emissions from the whole lifecycle of products (from manufacture to breakdown, including transportation, extraction, and waste processing).
- Carbon Offsets: Reduction of carbon emissions through alternative projects (e.g., reforestation, low carbon emission projects like solar/wind energy).
- Carbon Footprint: The total set of GHG emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organization, event, or product. Measured in tons (or kg) of CO2 equivalent.
Common Approaches to Green IT
3R Principles
- Reduce: Use less hazardous materials and less waste of energy.
- Reuse: Maximize a product’s lifetime.
- Recycle: Recycle materials used in IT products and promote their biodegradability.
4R Principle (Added to 3R)
- Replace: Replace IT equipment with more energy-efficient items (Green Procurement).
Specific Approaches
- Algorithm Efficiency Improvement: Use less energy, hardware/CPU time/memory through more efficient coding, memory usage, and data transmission. (Principle: Reduce)
- Virtualization: Run multiple logical computer systems on one or more physical hardware sets.
- Green IT Benefits: Saves electricity (increasing server operating efficiency from 10% to 80%), lowers GHG, reduces cooling requirements/costs.
- Non-Green IT Benefits: High availability, space-saving, lower management/admin cost, lower equipment/maintenance cost. (Principles: Reduce, Replace)
- Thin Client Computer: Lightweight computers working with terminal servers, resulting in smaller size and lower power consumption.
- Green IT Benefits: Low power consumption, low cost, and less e-waste. (Principles: Reduce, Replace)
- Power Management: Managing energy use of computing devices efficiently.
- Hibernation Mode: System turns off most components while retaining its state; consumes no electricity in theory but takes longer to restore.
- Standby Mode (Sleep Mode): Cuts power to unneeded subsystems, placing CPU/RAM in minimum power state; consumes 1–2 Watt for desktops, saves up to 90% electricity, faster restore than hibernation.
- Throttling Mode: Adjusts CPU voltage/clock speed to conserve power and reduce heat, typically for servers with low activities, saving 50–66% electricity. (Principle: Reduce)
- Power Supply Units (PSU): Replacing less efficient PSUs (70–75% efficient) with 80 PLUS certified PSUs (at least 80% efficient, up to 90% for 80 Plus Titanium) reduces heat dissipation and electricity consumption. (Principles: Reduce, Replace)
- Storage: Optimizing storage usage, using more energy-efficient drives (e.g., SSDs), and data de-duplication. (Principles: Reduce, Replace)
- Video Card and Display: Choosing energy-efficient components and displays, and utilizing power management features for displays. (Principle: Reduce)
- Material Reuse and Recycle: (Covered under 3R principle).
- Telecommuting: Reducing commuting, which reduces carbon emissions (especially relevant in the post-COVID-19 era). (Principle: Reduce)