I am having a challenging time coming up with a response to Post 1 and Post 2 (Separate paragraphs) based on the following criteria. Please note these are two different posts which need separate responses. Thank you!!

Criteria:

In your response posts, address the ethical dilemmas posed by your peers. Apply one of the five sources of ethical standards from the articleA Framework for Ethical Decision Makingto justify your response.

https://www.scu.edu/ethics/ethics-resources/a-framework-for-ethical-decision-making/

Post 1

Scenario: You work in the IT department of a hospital that has recently implemented a new electronic health record (EHR) system to enhance patient care and streamline operations. The EHR system contains sensitive patient information, including medical histories, treatment plans, and demographic data. Access to this system is tightly controlled through user authentication and authorization mechanisms to ensure patient confidentiality and comply with healthcare regulations.

One day, you receive a request from the hospital's Chief Medical Officer (CMO). The CMO explains that they urgently need access to the EHR system to review the medical records of a patient who is a close personal friend. The patient is not currently under the CMO's care, and accessing the records would breach the established protocols and policies.

The CMO argues that the situation is critical, and obtaining the information quickly could potentially save the friend's life. However, providing unauthorized access to the CMO sets a precedent that compromises the integrity of the hospital's information security policies.

How do you manage the CMO's request for unauthorized access to the EHR system while balancing the imperative to protect patient privacy and adhere to information security policies?

I used a scenario like this because this is something I have dealt with working IT at a hospital. I am curious to see what all of you think!

Post 2

Scenario: You are a cybersecurity professional working for a large financial institution. Your organization recently implemented a new security system that includes advanced monitoring tools to detect potential insider threats. As part of your role, you are responsible for overseeing and analyzing the alerts generated by these monitoring tools.

One day, the system flags an alert associated with a high-level executive within the company. The alert indicates that this executive's credentials were used to access sensitive financial data outside of normal working hours. This access goes beyond the executive's usual job responsibilities, and the timing and nature of the access raise concerns about a potential insider threat.

Upon further investigation, you discover that the executive accessed financial data related to upcoming mergers and acquisitions that have not been publicly disclosed. The information accessed could be highly valuable if leaked or used for insider trading. However, you also uncover that the executive was working on a special project assigned by the CEO, which required access to this sensitive information.

The ethical dilemma: As you analyze this situation, you find yourself facing a significant ethical dilemma. On one hand, the alert and access pattern trigger concerns about potential insider trading or unauthorized use of sensitive information. On the other hand, you are aware that the executive's actions were part of a legitimate project sanctioned by the CEO.

Your decision-making process is complicated by the fact that the information accessed is highly confidential and could have severe consequences if misused. At the same time, you must consider the organizational hierarchy and the potential fallout of questioning the actions of a high-level executive, especially when they were following directives from the CEO.

The question for participants:

How would you manage this ethical dilemma? Specifically, do you prioritize the potential insider threat concerns and report the activity for further investigation, or do you consider the executive's role, the CEO's approval, and the legitimate project requirements to avoid unwarranted accusations? What factors would influence your decision, and how do you balance the need for security with organizational trust and hierarchy?