National Security and Online Privacy Dilemma With Annotated Bibliography

Introduction

Over the years, and especially in the last couple of years since the September 11 bombing, security professionals have faced the challenging dilemma of gathering information from online users all over the world in an attempt to thwart terrorist acts targeting the United States. Personal privacy is an issue enshrined in most countries constitution with the United States leading in its 4th Amendment. At the same time, national security is an essential aspect of the United States. Balancing the delicate task of gathering information online, online surveillance, and policing the internet has come with the difficult dilemma of keeping tab with security measures. Both are no doubt important and whichever way it is weighed on, it contains its pros and cons. For example, the United States Constitution protects personal information from unauthorized access or gathering. However, the same custodians of the constitution do find themselves in a hard position when it comes to undertaking security measures especially when it comes to online surveillance posing an ethical dilemma for security professionals.

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Annotated Bibliography

Bergstrom, A. (2015). Online privacy concerns: A broad approach to understanding the concerns of different groups for different uses. Computers in Human Behavior, 53, 419-426. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563215300364

Bergstrom argues that despite concerns and perceptions of different online users, online privacy is a critical individual right that needs to be protected. However, in the face of increased inline fraud, terror-related activities and religious influence, Bergstrom maintains that a dilemma is poised especially for security agents in the face of national security. Both online privacy and national security are critical aspects of a country and as such constitute an important part of individual well-being. If and when approached differently, the two put security professionals in a complicated dilemma, balancing the delicate act of national security and respecting and protecting individual online privacy.

The article is important as it provides for an important source of the topic of discussion with a wide array of perceptions and alternatives for intelligence professionals.

Cavelty, M. D. (2014). Breaking the cyber-security dilemma: Aligning security needs and removing vulnerabilities. Science and engineering ethics, 20(3), 701-715. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Saeed_Ullah_Jan2/post/What_are_current_trending_topics_in_Cybersecurity/attachment/5a72e68c4cde266d5887ee48/AS%3A589166148587521%401517479564706/download/02.pdf

According to Cavelty, balancing the delicate task of cyber security and security needs is an important aspect of any sitting government failure to which security professionals may come under legal scrutiny and court challenges. At the same time, the author maintains that respect to personal privacy should not hinder security measures aligned towards protecting the borders of any given country.

The source is important as it provides for an in-depth perspective towards balancing the delicate task of cyber security dilemma in the face of national security.

Fulton, A. M. (1995). Cyberspace and the Internet: Who Will be the Privacy Police. CommLaw conspectus, 3, 63.

The internet is a world of its own with various public and private information's that may hinder proper implementation of national security. The author's outstanding question "who will be the privacy police", raises more questions than answers. With the current threat of terrorist acts and money laundering, governments and security professionals are in an ethical and legal dilemma of who exactly will carry out surveillance and policing on the internet. The author's view and perception are important for the development of the proposal paper as it provides various viewpoints of the same considering that both national security and online privacy are critical elements of the society.

Tzanou, M. (2015). The war against terror and transatlantic information sharing: spillovers of privacy or spillovers of security. Utrecht J. Int'l & Eur. L., 31, 87. http://eprints.keele.ac.uk/3665/1/M%20Tzanou%20-%20The%20War%20Against%20Terror%20and%20Transatlantic%20Information%20Sharing.pdf

The war against terror has never been easy considering the improved aspect of the internet in the face of online privacy. According to Tzanou, both the two issues are no doubt important and play a critical role in the well-being of the society. However, the dilemma caused by gathering online information from private accounts and information goes against many provisions in the constitution. As such, security professionals are often caught in a difficult position especially when it comes to gathering information online and undertaking security measures.

The article is important as it offers various social and legal positions of the subject with various alternatives to balancing the two.

Levi, M., & Wall, D. S. (2004). Technologies, security, and privacy in the post9/11 European information society. Journal of law and society, 31(2), 194-220. https://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/46467576/Technologies_Security_and_Privacy_in_the20160614-7292-nl4nng.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAIWOWYYGZ2Y53UL3A&Expires=1548584259&Signature=v5Dxg0quJNDoJcURUX3l5hUPP5A%3D&response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%3DTechnologies_Security_and_Privacy_in_the.pdf

According to Levi and Wall, national security is an important aspect of any country. However, with the dawn of online and internet development, security professionals have found it rather challenging to source out critical information from online engagement and private online networks. The source is important as it helps bring forth the topic in an unbiased approach with several dimensions such as the legal aspects of online privacy.

National Security and Online Privacy Dilemma

Introduction

The recent security breach that enabled attackers to steal Facebook users "token" raised a critical ethical dilemma for security professional on balancing between online privacy and national security. The security lapse came at a period many countries and especially the United States are faced with acts of terror and security threats. All over the world, national security has become a top priority for governments with major focus paid on preventing and handling threats and risks associated with terrorist activities. Advancement in telecommunication and the internet, in general, has made national security issues complicated. For example, the current controversy pitting the United States and Technology Company's such as mobile phone companies, e.g. Samsung, Apple, and social media such as Facebook have gradually become a central focus on tackling and addressing national security. It's no doubt that the role played by technology companies in addition to social forums media such as Facebook has raised the ethical dilemma for national security professionals especially in regards to personal data and privacy. Security professionals find it ethically difficult balancing the delicate act of seeking out personal information or data and undertaking security measures by use of online personal details.

Security Agencies and Online Data

While security agencies and firms are often on the lookout for security breaches and scrutiny for online users with the goal of enhancing national security, data firms, corporate companies, social media developers are determined to protect user's data and uphold online privacy. However, Cavelty (2014) contend that the ethical dilemma arises when and if national securities agencies prod and dig personal data in attempts to carry out nationwide surveillance and ensure no hackers or terror groups are misusing the same for their terror acts. Without the accessibility of user's data, security agencies such as the Central Intelligence Agency and the FBI are kept away from vital and sensitive user details that can help in tracking terror acts and or suspected terrorists. However, denying security agencies and professionals such information will no doubt open another Pandora box, especially on user's privacy issues. In the case security agencies and professionals have access to user's data, social media platforms such as Facebook, technology firms such as Apple, serving as multinational corporations will trigger other countries and governments to demand user data to achieve security measures. However, countries such as Russia and China or African countries may not be operating the same in regards to security strategies.

On the other hand, Bergstrom (2015) argues that if governments and security agencies such as the FBI pass resolutions and laws on how user's information is accessed, security threats and potentialities will no doubt be reduced or thwarted. However, technology firms such as Samsung, Apple, and Microsoft's software's and operating systems could be opened especially increasing risks of malicious attack from hackers, malware, virus and other unknown ill-meaning strategies that may harvest credit information's, passwords, and personal data. In case such occurs, the above-named firms will have to re-develop and protect their software's such as the operating system to prevent any further damage.

Legal Antagonism

To the user's, this is a very contentious concern that may lead to numerous antagonism and even legal complications and suits. According to Cavelty (2014) the big question is, will users be at a position to sacrifice their privacy for the sake of global security or national security? Will users allow security firms and governments to monitor and follow on their digital movements? Do user's civil liberties outweigh collective national security? Such will raise serious ethical concern or governments, security agencies, and security professionals in their attempt to police the society. According to Bergstrom (2015) having access to user's data can have serious consequences politically, socially and economically. A recent investigation and revelation revealed that Cambridge Analytica harvested over 50 million Facebook profiles that tilted the democratic exercise of the United States election that gave Donald Trump undue advantage. The company was accused of using personal information derived from Facebook users profile to "build on a system that could profile individual US voters, in order to target them with the personalized political advertisement." The company acknowledges that it used the harvested data without Facebook's management's knowledge, a further breach of information sharing. In Europe and African countries, young people, especially between the ages of 18 and 30, are often targeted to be recruited into guerrilla warfare, anti-government groupings, and terror groups majorly through the social media and technology devices. It thus means that close monitoring of the same could no doubt prevent online recruitment of young people into such groups. However, due to the ethical concern and dilemma it raises, the United States, world governments and security agencies are caught in a hard place in ensuring security measures are in place and respecting personal privacy.

Over the years, Cavelty (2014) argues that the United States National Security Agency has had to request for user's information in order to undertake security measures and decisions. The agency has had to contend with the fact that understanding what users do online is a critical component of surveillance and monitoring the worldwide web. In the recent past, terror acts, hooliganism, criminal acts putting the borders of the US at danger have often started and perpetrated online. According to Cavelty (2014) and Bergstrom (2015), criminal have ofte...