For this week’s case study, imagine the following scenario.
You work for a nonprofit organization that helps victims of domestic violence. Your organization assists these individuals by helping them get access to legal advice, mental health support, and financial aid. Because of the sensitive nature of the work that you do for your clients, it is very important that you maintain strict confidentiality.
Sometimes your clients visit you in your offices, but you also make home visits as needed. When making home visits, your case workers use tablets to take notes and record information. You have become aware of a security vulnerability in the mobile version of the software used by these tablets. This vulnerability could make the tablets more prone to hacking, which could compromise client confidentiality and potentially put people in danger. This vulnerability does not apply to computers used in the office.
In speaking to your IT director, you have learned that it is possible to fix this vulnerability, but it will be very expensive. As a nonprofit, funding is always hard to come by, and paying for this technology upgrade would entail cutbacks in other areas, thus decreasing the number of clients you will be able to help. Your IT director has a suggestion though. The cost of the technology upgrade is based on the number of licenses purchased. She suggests buying a few licenses and then making copies of the software and installing them on the other tablets. She thinks the licenses are overpriced and that many other organizations do the same thing. How would you respond to your IT director’s suggestion?
In your response to this case study, you need to determine the best course of action for your organization. Please consider the following questions.
Do you think your IT director’s suggestion is ethically sound? Why or why not?
What other potential solutions are there to this ethical dilemma?
Should you notify your clients about the software vulnerability? Why or why not?
What would you do to resolve this issue in the most ethical responsible way?
Assignment Requirements
Length: Between 400–600 words
Format: Use the current edition of APA style, including a cover page.
Research: Do not use external sources.
