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The rise of artificial intelligence is forcing the cybersecurity industry to confront a crucial ethical dilemma: how to aggressively combat threats while minimizing unintended real-world harm. The potential for AI-powered solutions to disrupt critical infrastructure, like hospitals and banks, necessitates a careful balance between security and societal impact.
According to Romanus Prabhu Raymond, Director of Technology at ManageEngine, ethical cybersecurity goes beyond simply defending against attacks. It requires a commitment to responsible security practices that protect organizations, individuals, and the broader community. In today’s cloud-centric world, organizations are increasingly judged on their ethical approach to data handling and security implementation.
ManageEngine has embraced an ‘ethical by design’ philosophy, integrating fairness, transparency, and accountability into its product development. The company emphasizes that customer data belongs solely to the customer, and they refrain from monetizing or monitoring it. To navigate the inherent risks of innovation, ManageEngine embeds responsibility and accountability into every stage of development, ensuring compliance and ethical considerations are paramount.
Raymond highlighted ManageEngine’s ‘SHE AI principles’: Secure AI, designed to prevent manipulation; Human AI, ensuring human oversight; and Ethical AI, emphasizing explainability by providing reasoning behind security alerts. The company also prioritizes data minimization, purpose-driven monitoring, anonymization, and robust governance structures to effectively balance security needs with individual privacy.
To foster a culture of ethical cybersecurity, Raymond recommends adopting a cybersecurity ethics charter, embedding privacy and ethical considerations into technology decisions, and providing comprehensive training to operationalize these principles. Organizations that prioritize ethical cybersecurity are poised to flourish, recognizing it as the bedrock of sustainable and trustworthy technological advancement.