Reference no: EM133864601
IT PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
Assessment
Introduction
This is an individual assignment. Your task involves conducting research on a minimum of four companies specified in the assignment and producing a Business Report that explores the ethical practices of these major companies. The focus of your report should encompass an evaluation of their ethical standards, actions, adherence to a Code of Conduct, and policies. Additionally, you should identify and provide concise descriptions of any instances of unethical behavior reported by these companies.
OBJECTIVE(S)
This assessment item relates to the unit learning outcomes as outlined in the unit descriptor. Specifically, it addresses the following learning outcomes:
Learning outcome 1: Explain the principles and frameworks for managing information security risks and analyze different approaches to cybersecurity.
Learning outcome 2: Critically assess and reflect on the ethical implications of information security decisions and evaluate how they impact stakeholders.
INSTRUCTIONS
Task: Research and write a business report that addresses the following question:
‘How ethical are Major IT firms? How do these firms monopolize the market and is it ethical?'
Methodology:
Write a business report with the following report headings and content:
Introduction
Briefly outline that you are going to assess the security practices and ethical behavior of the following organizations:
Google, Apple, IBM, Microsoft
You can also choose other organisations that are global and are well known players in the IT industry. You will conduct research examining the security policies and ethical standards of each organisation, comparing their policies to real-world practices, and drawing conclusions regarding their security measures and ethical behavior.
Using AI tools to enhance research experience
You will be proactively using an AI tool to search for information that is pertinent to prepare and research for this assignment. You will be including this information as an annexure to your submission, that includes all the phrases you used for searching in AI tools and also content generated by AI as a result of each of the phrases you had searched. Please do note that you are expected to demonstrate your ability to use AI tools creatively for learning and research purposes and not directly use assignment requirements as a search phrase into AI tool.
How did you benefit from using AI?
You will write a reflection journal for 500 words on how did you benefit from using AI, and how could you use it better for all you future projects.
Security and Ethical Policies
Locate the security policy and code of conduct/ethics for each organisation.
Write a brief summary of each policy and code of conduct.
Compare the platforms' policies in terms of detail, readability, and comprehensiveness. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of each policy.
Security Breaches and Ethical Behavior
Investigate and briefly describe any recent reports or news articles on data breaches or unethical behavior by these organisations (limit to 3 incidents per company).
Compare these incidents to the companies' stated security policies and ethical guidelines. Are they consistent with their public commitments?
Compliance and Legal Responsibilities
Explore how each organization complies with international and local cybersecurity regulations, such as GDPR, CCPA, or Australian data privacy laws.
Include reports of whether the organisations meet their legal responsibilities or have faced penalties for non-compliance.
Environmental Impact
Investigate the environmental impact of these companies, particularly focusing on their data centers' energy consumption.
Assess whether these companies are taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint and operate sustainably. How do they compare in their efforts?
Summary
Summarize your findings: Are the companies as secure and ethical as they claim?
Highlight which platforms demonstrate the strongest or weakest security and ethical standards.
Provide recommendations for improving security and ethical practices across these social media platforms.
Based on your research, reassess and provide your final security and ethical ratings for each platform.