Which of the following is a common ethical concern in cybersecurity?

Unauthorized access to private information represents a significant ethical concern in cybersecurity because it directly relates to the rights of individuals regarding their personal data. Ethical considerations in this context revolve around privacy, consent, and the protection of sensitive information. When an individual’s private information is accessed without authorization, it typically leads to potential harm, including identity theft, financial loss, and violations of personal privacy.

The ethical obligation for cybersecurity professionals includes safeguarding individual rights and ensuring that data is accessed and used only with consent and for legitimate purposes. This situation raises important questions about trust in digital systems and the responsibility of organizations to protect customer information from malicious entities or even within the organization itself.

The other options, while important elements of a cybersecurity strategy—such as implementing high-level security protocols, generating complex passwords, and encrypting sensitive data—do not inherently raise ethical concerns within themselves. Instead, they are practices aimed at preventing the unauthorized access that constitutes the ethical violation.