About Engineering Ethics

Reading this:

“Anony Moose Data Corporation (AMDC) recently hired Gator Engineer (GE) as a software engineer. AMDC’s projects include important governmental initiatives. GE’s first assignment from the supervisor was to write software that provides security for documents emailed within the company.

After completing the project, GE reads about another company that made similar software available to overseas clients. That company was now under investigation by the U.S. Government because of U.S. laws precluding transfer of such software overseas, due to national security concerns. GE then discovers that the IT department previously sent the AMDC software abroad to their corporate offices.

GE informs the supervisor who responds, without the benefit of consulting legal counsel, that there is no problem since AMDC is U.S.-based and not a threat to national security and the company will be using software solely for internal corporate purposes and not for profit. GE agrees but later learns that one of the company’s overseas offices has been permitting contractors to use the software to exchange secured email documents.

So what does GE do?”

Answer:

1. Identify GE’s main ethical dilemma in the context of the applicable Fundamental Canons in the NSPE Code of Ethics.
2. Identify and briefly discuss all the viable options, or sub-options as applicable, that you see available to GE to address the issue.

(300 WORDS EACH QUESTION)