Cyber-security, Privacy, Legal and Ethical Issues in IS

Track Description
The ubiquitous growth of the Internet, and advances in communications, networking, data gathering and storage technologies, have exacerbated the vulnerability of information systems. The extent, frequency, seriousness, and diversity of external attacks to computer systems are unprecedented. Meanwhile, internal attacks and abuse of proprietary information assets account for at least half of the serious security and privacy incidents worldwide. On another front, the personal data gathered and stored by companies is ever more frequently used for profiling and analysis, often without the knowledge or consent of the individuals or groups concerned. Mobile computing with location-aware capabilities further exacerbates these concerns. Furthermore, the fast-paced development of new artificial and augmented intelligence applications challenge existing legal, regulatory and ethical frameworks. Thus, it is imperative to better understand the laws, policies, strategies, technologies, and actions by societies, organizations, groups, and individuals that address these issues.

Accordingly, this track provides a forum for focused discussion on information security, privacy, legal and ethical issues. We seek to address important questions arising from the issues mentioned above, such as: How do online social networks or virtual worlds threaten the security and privacy of the individual participants? What are the underlying economic, behavioral, and societal implications of new security technologies? Should governments get involved in the process of creating a more secure environment and in safeguarding information privacy, and if so how? What are the benefits, costs, and implications of the latest security and privacy technologies? How should firms manage their businesses in view of possible security and privacy breaches? How should firms design and implement “best” security and privacy practices in their organizations and IT systems? What are the social, legal and ethical implications of new and emerging technologies?

Track Chairs
France Bélanger, Virginia Tech, belanger@vt.edu
Kai Lung Hui, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, klhui@ust.hk
Sam Ransbotham, Boston College, sam.ransbotham@bc.edu
Sumit Sarkar, University of Texas at Dallas, sumit@utdallas.edu