CSR and the Corporate Cyborg: Ethical Corporate Information Security Practices

Journal of Business Ethics · 2009 · Volume 88 · Issue 4

Abstract

Relying heavily on Thomas Dunfee’s work, this article conducts an in-depth analysis of the relationship between law and business ethics in the context of corporate information security. It debunks the two dominant arguments against corporate investment in information security and explains why socially responsible corporate conduct necessitates strong information security practices. This article argues that companies have ethical obligations to improve information security arising out of a duty to avoid knowingly causing harm to others and, potentially, a duty to exercise unique capabilities for the greater social good and to buttress stable functioning of social institutions.

Keywords

corporate governance, corporate social responsibility, information security, identity theft, nondisclosure

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