EEMCS

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/14779960911004499

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze information security assessment in terms of
cultural categories and virtue ethics, in order to explain the cultural origin of certain types of security
vulnerabilities, as well as to enable a proactive attitude towards preventing such vulnerabilities.

Design/methodology/approach – Vulnerabilities in information security are compared to the
concept of “monster? introduced by Martijntje Smits in philosophy of technology. The applicability of
different strategies for dealing with monsters to information security is discussed, and the strategies
are linked to attitudes in virtue ethics.

Findings – It is concluded that the present approach can form the basis for dealing proactively with
unknown future vulnerabilities in information security.

Research limitations/implications – The research presented here does not define a stepwise
approach for implementation of the recommended strategy in practice. This is future work.

Practical implications – The results of this paper enable computer experts to rethink their attitude
towards security threats, thereby reshaping their practices.

Originality/value – This paper provides an alternative anthropological framework for descriptive
and normative analysis of information security problems, which does not rely on the objectivity of risk.

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