Learning the rules of the road is a must before we travel the information superhighway. Being a good netizen, however, is about more than understanding the law or complying with institutional policies. It is also about following your instincts for distinguishing between right and wrong behaviors in a civil society. The Internet helps to remind us that principled, ethical decision-making will serve us well not only in cyberspace but in our day-to-day encounters with students, the public, and each other.

Project NEThics in the Office of Information Technology seeks to promote responsible use of information technology among the university community. The staff actively seeks opportunities to educate faculty, staff, and students about the legal and ethical implications of Internet use as well as serves as a source for counsel and advice on policy matters. The staff is also the primary point of contact when university users misbehave online or when a university community member becomes the target of some form of inappropriate use of information technology. The purpose of this column is to provide faculty and staff with a glimpse of some of the common ethical issues and corresponding interventions that occur in a networked environment.

Password Protection

The University of Michigan conducts an educational campaign around the theme that "passwords are like underwear:" you should change them often, not share them with your friends, and not leave them lying around. While selecting unique and sometimes difficult to remember passwords is a hassle for many of us, it is an important habit to form. Easy to guess passwords (like using any parts of your name) or common dictionary terms are common examples of poorly selected passwords. Not only is it possible for someone to gain access to your workstation or computer accounts, it then becomes possible for them to send prank email under your name, access sensitive data that only you were authorized to access, or commit an array of illegal activities that will be traceable to you. For suggestions on how to select a good password, see http://www.helpdesk.umd.edu/documents/1/1965/.

Another common problem is password sharing. If it ever proves necessary for you to provide your password to someone else who may be assisting you with resolving a problem related to your computer account, make sure they are a trusted source and change your password immediately thereafter. We have seen far too many instances of computer misuse perpetrated by that former student employee or helpful computer whiz to whom faculty and staff provided their password in return for some assistance. Equally troublesome is the practice of sharing your password with family members or friends in order that they may gain access to your accounts or Internet services. Aside from a violation of university policies that restrict the use of computing resources to authorized users, it also introduces tremendous accountability problems for you and the university if your account is used for inappropriate, if not illicit, activities.

Of course, if anyone gains access to your password or account through fraudulent means or without your authorization, it is a crime as well as violation of university policy. Legal recourse will be taken whenever necessary to protect the integrity of our computer systems as well as the security of critical institutional assets.

Education and Ethical Development

It is the practice of the NEThics staff to conduct most of the follow-up to complaints in person. The face-to-face meeting has important potential benefits. The individual might learn, through our discussion, a few things about security or privacy in a networked environment. Certainly, we often gain new insights about employees' and students' use of information technology. We also often uncover additional facts. Face-to-face conversations also tend to cut to the core of the problem since the presumed anonymity or impersonal nature of Internet communications often contributes to the aberrant behavior.

While a proportion of misuse behavior involves simple matters that could be handled in telephone conversations or via email, a face-to-face encounter provides a unique setting to explore the value of being a positive and ethical member of the world-wide Internet community. In the case of a student or employee whose Internet use is competing with productivity in other areas of life, a referral to the Counseling Center or Employee Assistance Program may be appropriate for him/her to examine issues of time management or Internet addiction. Or perhaps the interaction will serve to identify frustrations the student has with learning, prompting a contact with the Learning Assistance Service. Not to mention the fact that occasionally we uncover masked Internet identities (someone who is misusing the account of another) when it is the expectation that the account owner meets with us in person.

Conclusion

The safety and security of our computer systems and information assets is of critical importance as the university consciously moves more and more of its programs and services online. Learning to make right decisions and use limited university resources responsibly will go a long way towards protecting the university's investment as well as minimizing potential negative consequences on others.

Further questions or comments can be addressed to Project NEThics at 301.405.8787 or NEThics@umail.umd.edu Additional information is also available at http://www.umd.edu/NEThics