In this activity, we’ll reflect on any ethical dilemmas you’ve encountered in your cybersecurity work and discuss how Aristotle’s concept of the Golden Mean could have guided you in such situations. If you haven’t faced such a dilemma, consider one of the examples discussed in this chapter and think about how the Golden Mean could apply.
Here are some fictive examples to guide your reflection:
1. Balancing Speed and Thoroughness in Incident Response
Imagine you are part of a cybersecurity incident response team. A critical incident has occurred, and there’s pressure to resolve the issue quickly to minimize downtime. However, rushing the process could lead to overlooking key aspects, potentially allowing vulnerabilities to persist. The Golden Mean here would suggest a balanced approach—being swift but without compromising thoroughness in addressing the incident.
2. Maintaining User Privacy and System Security
Consider a scenario where you, as a security professional, have to monitor user activities to ensure system security. This involves a potential infringement on user privacy. The Golden Mean in this situation could involve establishing robust, transparent policies around data handling and ensuring only necessary data is collected and used exclusively for security purposes.
3. Deciding on Disclosure of a Found Vulnerability
Suppose you’ve discovered a significant vulnerability in a product. Reporting it immediately could prevent potential exploits but could also lead to public panic and reputational damage for the organization. Choosing not to disclose the vulnerability, on the other hand, could leave the system open to attacks. The Golden Mean might involve internally disclosing the vulnerability to relevant parties, working on a fix, and having a controlled disclosure to the public once the issue is addressed.
Activity Template for Teachers
As a teacher, guide your students in reflecting on their experiences or hypothetical situations using the following questions:
- Identifying the Dilemma: Can you recall a situation where you faced an ethical dilemma in your cybersecurity work? What were the competing considerations or values? If you can’t think of a real example, imagine a potential scenario.
- Applying the Golden Mean: How did you (or would you) navigate the dilemma? Can you identify the extremes in this situation? How could Aristotle’s concept of the Golden Mean guide your decision-making?
- Reflecting on the Outcome: If this was a real situation, were you satisfied with the decision you made? If it was a hypothetical scenario, do you feel prepared to handle such a situation in the future?
The purpose of this exercise is to help students apply Aristotle’s Golden Mean to real-world situations, enhancing their ability to navigate ethical dilemmas in cybersecurity.