Ethical Issues in Privacy

Choose Topic: Computer Science
Select number of pages: 4
Question Description: Prepare a 4 – 6 page paper in Microsoft Word on one of the topics below. I encourage you to leverage outside sources/references, which can help bolster and strengthen your arguments and discussion.
If you discuss outside sources, be sure to cite them accordingly within your document and on your references page.
The 4 – 6 pages does not include the title page, abstract page, or references page (if outside sources are used).
Paper should be written in APA format (title page, double-spacing, abstract, page header, 1″ margins, references page, etc.)

The 4 – 6 page requirement means at least 4 FULL pages minimum, not 3 pages, not 3.5 pages, etc.
Adding numerous images/clipart, applying narrow margins or multiple blank lines will not count toward the required page count.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is interested in using technologies to identify suspected of money laundering operations within the United States. The system would perform data mining in order to determine purchases and travel patterns that could ultimately identify individuals who are engaged in, or at least planning to launder money. DHS asks a panel of information security professionals to determine the feasibility of this project. Several participants believe a major challenge would be to determine the patterns of transactions and other indicators. As a participant, you suggest that it might be possible to construct a computer program that uses artificial intelligence to mimic money laundering activity. The program would determine the transactions needed to execute money laundering activities. Once these transactions were determined, it would be possible to search related databases and other information resources to locate further evidence. A large population of individuals would need to be monitored/searched, potentially violating their privacy rights.

As an information security professional assigned to this project, what would ethical and moral issues might arise from developing a computer program capable of violating numerous individuals’ privacy in order to identify criminal activities of a few?
How does this play into what we learned in the course, regarding issues related to violating an individual’s privacy?
Is the greater good of society served by using this approach? What course of action would you take if placed into this situation?