Balancing Policies, Principles, and Philosophy in Information Assurance

Laws, codes, and rules are essential for any community and society, public or private, to operate in an orderly and productive manner. Without laws and codes, anarchy and chaos abound and the purpose and role of the organization is lost. However, there is a potential for serious long-term problems when individuals or organizations become so focused on rules, laws, and policies that basic principles are ignored. We discuss the purpose of laws, rules, and codes, how these can be helpful to, but not substitute for, an understanding of basic principles of ethics and integrity. We also examine how such an understanding can increase in the level of ethical and moral behavior without imposing increasingly detailed rules.