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BCS Code of Conduct Expanded

The British Computer Society (BCS) is the UK's chartered institute for IT professionals, focusing on ethical standards and professional conduct. The BCS Code of Conduct emphasizes four key principles: prioritizing public interest, maintaining professional competence, adhering to legal authority, and promoting integrity within the profession. It also addresses real-life ethical dilemmas in IT, guiding professionals on appropriate actions to take in various situations.

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Hammad Khan
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243 views2 pages

BCS Code of Conduct Expanded

The British Computer Society (BCS) is the UK's chartered institute for IT professionals, focusing on ethical standards and professional conduct. The BCS Code of Conduct emphasizes four key principles: prioritizing public interest, maintaining professional competence, adhering to legal authority, and promoting integrity within the profession. It also addresses real-life ethical dilemmas in IT, guiding professionals on appropriate actions to take in various situations.

Uploaded by

Hammad Khan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Notes on the British Computer Society

(BCS) Code of Conduct


PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES
BY HAMMAD KHAN
D E PA R T M E N T ( S TAT I S T I C S & D ATA S C I E N C E )
U N I V E R S I T Y O F M A N WA L I

What is BCS?
The British Computer Society (BCS) is the chartered institute for IT and computer
professionals in the UK. It represents IT professionals, issues professional certifications, and
establishes ethical standards in the tech industry. BCS aims to improve IT practices and
ensure ethical and professional behaviour.

Goal of the Code of Conduct


The BCS Code of Conduct outlines the ethical and professional responsibilities of IT
professionals. It ensures that people act legally, fairly and responsibly while safeguarding
the public interest, upholding privacy, and maintaining trust in the profession.

Four Major Tenets (Principles)

1. Public interest
IT professionals must prioritise public health, safety, and privacy. They should report any
systems or behaviours that may cause harm to the public and must respect the
confidentiality of users.

Example: A developer who finds a vulnerability that could expose user passwords must
report and resolve the issue immediately to protect users.

2. Professional Competence and Integrity


Professionals should only accept tasks they are qualified for and stay up-to-date with
evolving technologies. They must be honest about their capabilities and avoid misleading
clients or stakeholders.

Example: If you lack experience in cybersecurity, you should not accept a security audit
project that could result in data breaches due to incompetence.
3. Duty of Relevant Authority
Follow the legal instructions of employers or clients. However, if instructions are unethical
or illegal, IT professionals must refuse and report such actions to the appropriate
authorities.

Example: If your manager asks you to hack a competitor’s system, you must decline and
report this to the legal or compliance departments.

4. Duty to the profession


Act in a way that promotes integrity and trust in the IT profession. Support peers, share
knowledge, and report unethical behaviour such as plagiarism, code theft, or fraud.

Example: If a colleague violates copyright by stealing code, your responsibility is to report it


instead of remaining silent.

Real-Life Ethical Dilemmas in IT


Here are some common real-world situations and the appropriate ethical responses.

Issue Ethical Action

You find a serious bug in production. Report it immediately and help fix it

Your company is secretly selling user data. Raise the concern to higher authorities or
DPO

You are asked to fake test results for Refuse; report to ethics/compliance
approval. department

A client refuses to invest in security. Warn them in writing and document your
advice

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