PROFESSIONAL ETHICS AND PRACTICES - COLUMN 176 Continued from p. 41
degradation. Item 11 needs the insertion of “unnecessary” or a similar term prior to “endanger” and “damage.”
Item 15 states, “Fellows must pre- vent avoidable risk to both physical and cyber security.” Physical safety is an important aspect of geoscience work and includes the lab as much as the field. PE&P column 175 in the Jul/ TPG contains a couple of topics on safety in the field. Cyber secu- rity is a newer and legitimate concern. What should the minimum standards for professional geoscience practice be? The use of anti-virus and anti-malware programs, separate strong passwords for each site requiring one (use a password manager), and perhaps required use of 2-step (or 2-factor) authentication would be on my list of potential minimum cyber security standards. I would appreci- ate contributions to this column or as stand-alone articles from those of you with more cyber security knowledge. Are more statements about safety needed in the AIPG Code of Ethics? Contribute your thoughts.
Computer files security in a Covid-19 world of home offices
The impact of Covid-19 on the geoscience world is that far more of us are working from home a good deal of the time. Doing so requires access to relevant company (or whatever business entity you are part of) files. Maintaining the security of these files is vital and it begins with your having good security for your home and traveling computer system(s) (if they differ). There are a variety of ways of doing this and different companies have differing methods. Antivirus and antimalware programs; using a pass- word manager for creating and using unique and strong passwords for every entity or program requiring a password; using a virtual private network; and a good, offsite backup program are musts. Two-factor authentication procedures add a bit more time to log-ins but provides you the single best thing you can do to protect your data and iden- tity. Use of cloud-based file sharing has advantages until you don’t have access to the cloud for one of a variety reasons. Keeping duplicate copies of needed files on a thumb drive or portable hard drive
provides access when the net is down or unavailable. Printing PDF copies of all final reports and maybe all final docu- ment eliminates the metadata inherent in word processing programs. These are just some of the things all of us should be doing, but are we?
Disaster by choice: how our actions turn natural hazards into catastrophes
Disaster by choice: how our actions turn natural hazards into catastrophes by Ilan Kelman, 2020, Oxford University Press, was reviewed by Brent Wilson in the August issue of The Geoscientist. Floods, forest fires, earthquakes, volcanic erup- tions, tsunamis, landslides, debris flows, and many others are examples of natural hazards. As Wilson points out, “The thing that makes a natural hazard a disaster is when it impacts on human populations, taking assets or (worse yet) lives.” Kelman’s book provides many examples of disasters stemming from lack of preparedness due to individual actions or lack of a political will. Kelman points out that disasters are not natural. Societies and humanity create them. Likewise, societies and humanity can take steps to avert them through build- ing codes, zoning regulations, and other actions although such restrictions may be very politically unpopular. The topic, “Protecting the public’s health, safety, and welfare—but does the public want protection?” in columns 102 (Mar/Apr
hazard of geologic hazards to geology,” related issues.
Ethics, the Importance (and Difficulty) of Being Earnest
“Ethics, the Importance (and Difficulty) of Being Earnest” is the title of a webinar that was presented by Robert Prentice of the Center for Leadership & Ethics and the University of Texas Austin McCombs School of Business on October 20, 2020. Prentice addressed general and common ethical issues. He began by noting the importance of humility. Inattention to situations with potential ethical issues and self-deception are common human characteristics. This can allow minor ethical issues to slide into big ones. We must be humble when reflecting on our own ethical awareness. Prentice notes that the overwhelming finding of behavioral ethics on the past decade is this: most people want to think of themselves as good people. And yet, most people frequently act unethically, usually in minor ways. While we want to think of ourselves as rational beings, Mr. Spock or Mr. Data we’re not.1 However, research clearly demonstrates that a variety of factors affect human decision making, including: social and organiza- tional pressures, cognitive biases, and situational factors.
Social and organizational pressures include obedience to authority; what does the boss or other authority figure
1. Prentice and I are assuming most readers are aware of the characters from Star Trek and Star Trek: the Next Generation, and various other parts of the Star Trek franchise.
www.aipg.org Jan.Feb.Mar 2021 • TPG 37
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