The Department of Defense (DoD) is a challenging government institution because it is based on the Constitution of the country and the Rule of Law. Americans cherish and protect their rights. Besides, they will contend with any agency that attempts to infringe or curtail the rights that are enshrined in the Constitution. Privacy on the internet is no longer sacred for Department of Defense personnel or any other government entity. Stemming from the build up to the 2016 general elections and terrorist threats, the leaking of classified and other relevant institutional information, United States is waging warfare on cyberspace. The critical role of national intelligence cannot be over-emphasized. The DoD is a Constitutional department charged with the duty of protecting Americans. An enhanced ethical practice will go a long way in achieving such a goal (Gilbert, 2012). The utilitarian ethical theory is imperative in the monitoring of staff internet use and the populace. This paper explores the morality of such ethical considerations. Because of the current and future rising issues in the cyberspace, intrusive electronic monitoring is mandatory because it will secure national infrastructure from hostile intrusion, deter Cyber-attacks and stop employees from potentially leaking classified intelligence. The internet and the email have evolved into necessities as a part of normal daily life, and it will intertwine further as we head toward the future. Intrusive electronic monitoring should be mandatory because it will secure national infrastructure from hostile intrusion, protect national intelligence, and stop leakage of classified information.
Overview
Morality is the underlying element in ethics. National security is a domain that entails the interests of the majority; ethical questions arise when rights and interests are involved. One of the ethical theory that describes the contextual framework upon which national interest supersedes that of individuals is the utilitarian ethical theory. The theory has extensive literature dating back to two centuries and beyond. The two principal philosophical proponents, thinkers, and writers of the utilitarian theory are Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) and John Stuart Mill (1806-1832). Its fundamental form is the promotion of "greatest good for the greatest number" (Bentham, 1948). It has been conceptualized as one of the three principal methods in normative ethical thinking (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2012). Mill (1968) considered that the pleasures that are intellectual, spiritual, and cultural are more valuable because they influence more than one individual. His assertion of the utilitarian notion is reinforced by his proclamation of the golden rule, where he stated that “In the golden rule of Jesus of Nazareth, we read the complete spirit of the ethics of utility” (Mill, 1968 p. 16). Therefore, the utilitarian theory has social, economic, political, cultural, and religious ramifications.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Intuitive thinking is connected to ethical reflection, something that is required in the workplace such as the DoD. Another rational thinker divided intuitive thinking and critical level thinking into "Act" and Rule" utilitarianism. The benefits of the utilitarian theory lie in its intuitiveness and with a particular focus on the "Act" form of utility. Approaches to public policy are one of the strengths of utilitarian theory (Beauchamp and Childress, 2001). Government policy that seeks to improve the basic national desire of security is an important option that should be given a significant position in public preferences. Thus, utilitarian theory fits well with an explanation of the need to monitor activities in the DoD.
One of the responsibilities of government is protecting its citizens from external and internal aggressions. The protection includes public and private infrastructures as well. The principle that is applied in national defense is not individualized but generalized. So, monitoring internet usage is a right that should be given to the government to ensure the protection of properties that are national and personal. Emphasis has been given to the official servers and computers, but the infrastructures such as electric power plants, substations, and other major infrastructures are vulnerable and in danger, if left unchecked as they are overlooked (Clayton, 2013). Intensifying efforts and implementing intrusive internet surveillance in the DoD will help guard against access to the nation's soft and hard infrastructure because the government has the rights and duty to safeguard national infrastructure.
Mandatory monitoring will deter leakage and cyber-attacks. Advances in technology are weakening the effects of traditional defense and deterrence measures. It is becoming increasingly difficult to verify and identify boundaries and borders of entities and states with traditional methods of defense (Andres, 2017). The cyberspace has no boundaries and limits nor is cyberspace criminals easily identified. According to Goldsmith (2013) “To keep our computer and telecommunication networks secure, the government will eventually need to monitor and collect intelligence on those networks using techniques similar to the ones the Times and many others find reprehensible when done for counterterrorism ends." (n.p). Network operators are significant contributors to cyber security, and the government needs to monitor accessibility mandatorily.
Intrusive electronic monitoring for personnel with classified clearances will assist the government from halting unintended spillage or intentional, malicious, acts of exposing sensitive and classified information. Federal personnel monitoring is an ethical issue that comes into focus when considering the utilitarian ethical theory. The intention is for the general good or the greater good of the country. Thus, employees of the government, including the DoD, need to think of supporting the policy directive for the common interest it brings to national security. The people who have greater access to government intelligence are the personnel. They do have a role in improving the protection of citizens by giving some of their privacy rights. There is a high price for freedom, and moral values as applied to utilitarianism suggest people should consider the implication of an action on the general population.
There has been a growing concern in America at the level of leakages of classified information to the surprise of many in public and private enterprises. Many are wondering if there is any electronic monitoring in place or it is about functionality and competencies. There are other schools of thought that current electronic monitoring strategy is too lenient (Kopp, 2017). It is the responsibility and the right of the nation to protect its assets. It is the duty of the citizens to relieve certain legal rights concerning classified information and monitoring of people who handle sensitive information. Ethical decisions in the DoD need to evaluate personal liberties, dignity, cultural attachments, beliefs, and the overarching significance of the decision. It has to be weighed against the interest of the nation.
Mandatory monitoring ethically demonstrates patriotism and allegiance to the country. The social contract theory explains what it means to be a citizen of a state such as America. It means implicitly and explicitly giving up some of one’s rights and liberties so as to live in harmony with others. The peaceful co-existence will require individuals to hold on to some rights and give away some of one’s rights to the governing body. The state protects the entire population, and moral judgment in intuitive level is necessary as people consider the values that constitute a secure nation or community. Thus, the mandatory monitoring in the DoD is relative to giving the government the policing authority of the cyberspace for the protection of intelligence, life, and properties. Also, patriotism is utilitarian in nature and practice. The enemies of the state cannot be completely dealt with without access to information. Ethics, in this regard, is for one to allow themselves to be monitored. Therefore, monitoring will reveal how people are patriotic and also their allegiance.
National confidence, commitment to duty and country, protection of records, will be a consequence of mandatory electronic monitoring in the DoD. The information protected, and the people monitored will gain from the activities of surveillance (Hackett, 2017). Hackers use the data for blackmail and exploitation, so personal or government-sponsored attempt on government files will be prevented because of monitoring efforts. Such government initiative will demonstrate its interest in securing its database from leaks and manipulations. The government can, with confidence, trust its defense department and related intelligence agencies to protect citizens against external and internal threats. The utilitarian ethical theory is more of a sacrifice for the country. It will also require the use of new technology and encryption capabilities to protect Americans and their records. Mandatory monitoring will suppose that the monitored is being protected by the monitoring and vice versa.
Based on the above findings it can be concluded that; working in the DoD is a challenging endeavor. The intersection of the Constitution, the rule of law and the rights of individuals is complicated. However, the threats to national, organizational, institutional, and personal records and properties have prompted the intrusion or surveillance of personal information and internet use. One posits that intrusive electronic monitoring should be mandatory because it will secure national infrastructure from hostile invasion, protect national intelligence, and stop leakage of classified information. The utilitarian ethical theory is focused on selfless pursuit and benefits everyone. It will help the government protect its citizens from external and internal aggressions. Monitoring will help deter and prevent cyber-attacks. Such ethical decision-making will demonstrate a patriotic spirit and allegiance to one’s country.
References
Andres, R. B. (2017). Cyberspace and national securities. From http://eds.a.ebscohost.com
Beauchamp, T., & Childress, J. (2001). Principles of Biomedical Ethics (5th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.
Braun, S. (2014). U.S. intelligence officials to monitor federal employees with security clearances. Associated Press. Retrieved from
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/us-intelligence-officials-monitor-federal-employees-security-clearances/
Clayton, M. (2013). Secret US cybersecurity program to protect power grid confirmed. Christian Science Monitor . pN.PAG-N.PAG. 1p. http://eds.a.ebscohost.com .
Goldsmith, J. (2013). We Need an Invasive NSA. New Republic. Retrieved From https://newrepublic.com/article/115002/invasive-nsa-will-protect-us-cyber-attacks
Gilbert, J. (2012). Ethics for Managers: Philosophical foundations and business realities . New York: Routledge.
Hackett, R. (2017). Surveillance. Fortune, 175 (4), 114. From http://eds.a.ebscohost.com
Kopp, J.M. & Kurtz, S. (2017). Hunt is on: Leakers pursued by Team Trump could face hard time . Fox News. Retrieved from http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/02/17/hunt-is-on-leakers-pursued-by-team-trump-could-face-hard-time.html
Mill, J. (1968). Utilitarianism, Liberty, Representative Government . London: JM Dent and Sons. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. (2012). Ethics-Virtue . Retrieved from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-virtue/
