The influence of ethical principles and policy awareness priming on university students’ judgements about ICT code of conduct compliance

Abstract

PurposeTo protect information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure and resources against poor cyber hygiene behaviours, organisations commonly require internal users to confirm they will abide by an ICT Code of Conduct. Before commencing enrolment, university students sign ICT policies, however, individuals can ignore or act contrary to these policies. This study aims to evaluate whether students can apply ICT Codes of Conduct and explores viable approaches for ensuring that students understand how to act ethically and in accordance with such codes.Design/methodology/approachThe authors designed a between-subjects experiment involving 260 students’ responses to five scenario-pairs that involve breach/non-breach of a university’s ICT policy following a priming intervention to heighten awareness of ICT policy or relevant ethical principles, with a control group receiving no priming.FindingsThis study found a significant difference in students’ responses to the breach versus non-breach cases, indicating their ability to apply the ICT Code of Conduct. Qualitative comments revealed the priming materials influenced their reasoning.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors’ priming interventions were inadequate for improving breach recognition compared to the control group. More nuanced and targeted priming interventions are suggested for future studies.Practical implicationsAppropriate application of ICT Code of Conduct can be measured by collecting student/employee responses to breach/non-breach scenario pairs based on the Code and embedded with ethical principles.Social implicationsShared awareness and protection of ICT resources.Originality/valueCompliance with ICT Codes of Conduct by students is under-investigated. This study shows that code-based scenarios can measure understanding and suggest that targeted priming might offer a non-resource intensive training approach.

Educating students about the ethical principles underlying the interpretation of infographics

“…In the related fields of AI and machine learning, there is the AI4People ethical framework, which is also relevant for data science and which has been widely used and applied to domain-specific research, including ethical computing and cybersecurity. [28][29][30][31]…”

“…The International Statistical Institute 27 have outlined 12 ethical principles for statisticians, namely, “Pursuing Objectivity, Clarifying Obligations and Roles, Assessing Alternatives Impartially, Conflicting Interests, Avoiding Preempted Outcomes, Guarding Privileged Information, Exhibiting Professional Competence, Maintaining Confidence in Statistics, Exposing and Reviewing Methods and Findings, Communicating Ethical Principles, Bearing Responsibility for the Integrity of the Discipline, and Protecting the Interests of Subjects.” Even though infographics are widely accepted as effective means of communication to present complex statistical results, there is still a lack of understanding of how the users are impacted from an underlying ethical issue. In the related fields of AI and machine learning, there is the AI4People ethical framework, which is also relevant for data science and which has been widely used and applied to domain‐specific research, including ethical computing and cybersecurity 28–31 …”

Awareness of the Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act of 2009 (Ra 9995) in Selected Universities in Palawan

“…To encourage appropriate online behavior and discourage voyeuristic behavior among learners, cyber ethics education needs to be addressed (Igbinovia & Ishola, 2023). Integrating cyber ethics, online safety, and cybersecurity education into the curriculum increases ethical awareness and improves student conduct (Richards et al, 2022). By stressing cyber ethics, students may better grasp ethical digital activity and avoid engaging in voyeuristic activities.…”