Analysts typically have access to confidential or sensitive data during the requirements discovery phase of a project, particularly during fact-finding.

Analysts need to be aware of situations where there may be a breach of professional ethics, whether by acts of commission or omission, and the possible consequences. Search on the Web and/or in business periodicals in your school library for articles on incidents involving breaches of professional ethics.

a. What articles did you find?

b. What was the nature of each of these incidents?

c. What were the consequences?

d. What was the analyst’s personal responsibility in each incident?

e. What could have been done at the organizational and/or individual level to prevent the incident or to reduce its severity?