Reflections

At the beginning of the 'Research Methods and Professional Practice' module, basic scientific methods were taken up and the differentiation between inductive and deductive argumentation examined, as well as the ethical significance in the context of research and professional practice analyzed.

The basic scientific approach of inductive and deductive reasoning is a fundamental part of scientific work. Due to the experience I have already gained in the field of scientific work, these findings were not new to me. However, it made sense to clarify these principles of evaluating hypotheses again, as these principles will be of great importance and will be applied in the following units. I found Miessler’s (2020) comment to be an interesting approach, as he emphasized that both arguments are not mutually exclusive and can be used in combination. While scientific work is subject to clear structures and regulations, the cognitive work that is carried out to work on a topic should not be limited. In order to be able to adequately illuminate a topic, as many perspectives as possible should be taken so that one's own work can be critically examined. These principles cannot only be limited to the scientific context of the university, but can also be applied in my professional future and should be observed.

The analysis of ethical significance in the context of research and professional practice is an extremely complex subject area. While at first glance I take ethical responsibility for granted, the versatility of ethics only becomes apparent when we consider the complex of issues in a considered manner. For me, in a scientific context, ethical responsibility primarily arises in the context of honesty and transparency with research results. The concealment or even falsification of scientific knowledge can have serious and long-lasting consequences for the knowledge base of mankind. An example that fortunately does not cause much damage, but is illustrative, is the misconception about the special health-promoting effect of spinach due to its high iron content, which only decades later turned out to be wrong (Bosch, 1994). While this misconception did not entail any serious health consequences, such unintentional or intentional errors in computer technology can lead to long-term damage. Even if a false conclusion is refuted, the sensational uproar that false findings have can lead to a lasting negative impact on social developments. But also ethically correct behaviour with test persons and research groups represent basic principles in the context of scientific work.

In the professional context, ethical responsibility becomes even more explicit, since unethical behaviour, as in the reflective activity 'Ethics in Computing' (see Artefacts), can have serious consequences for people's safety and health. I therefore consider the Code of Conduct of the British Computer Society (2022) to be very important ethical principles that should be pursued and reflected in the context of personal action. The knowledge and skills acquired in this unit will help me to carry out conscientious scientific research and work in the following units and will also be used in my professional future.

• Bosch, K. (1994) ‚Über die statistische Lüge‘, in: Bosch, K. (eds) Lotto und andere Zufälle. Wiesbaden, Vieweg+ Teubner Verlag 145-152.
• British Computer Society (2022) Code of Conduct for BCS Members. Available from: https://www.bcs.org/media/2211/bcs-code-of-conduct.pdf [Accessed 08 November 2022].
• Miessler, D. (2020) The Difference Between Deductive and Inductive Reasoning. Available from: https://danielmiessler.com/blog/the-difference-between-deductive-and-inductive-reasoning/ [Accessed 12 November 2022].

In this unit, the sections and necessary steps of a research proposal were discussed. It was analysed how research questions should be formulated, how a literature review is processed and how such an academic work has to be presented.

Due to my academic background, the basic behaviours and procedures for the development of an academic work, which a literature review is, were already known. However, it was helpful for me to recall this knowledge again. The recommendations given by Dawson (2015) on how to approach a research proposal were also profitable and meant that I specifically questioned the purpose and benefit of my planned literature review. This allowed me to take a more reflective look at the planned topic to be analyzed, which made the larger context clearer to me.

Dawson's (2015) checklist also helps to plan a more structured process, whereby the list of various literature sources he recommends is practical. Having not used some of the online libraries and databases in the past, this has allowed me to improve my academic research skills.

Furthermore, an initial literature research was carried out for my planned literature review and basic questions were asked about the goal of the review in the form of the Literature Review Guide Questions (see Artefacts). The first research clarified the complexity of the topic and raised the first questions, which need to be considered in more depth in further research.

• Dawson, C. (2015) Projects in Computing and Information Systems: A Student’s Guide. Harlow: Perason. Available from: https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?docID=5176771 [Accessed 19 November 2022].

The aim of this unit was to understand the concepts of exploratory and descriptive research designs and to question how these can be applied to the planned research proposal and which seems more suitable in this context. The three research methods qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods were also presented and considered in the context of primary and secondary data collection.

A reflected structuring of a planned research work is of fundamental importance in order to be able to produce a successful and scientifically correct product. Questioning the planned research design also helps to find out whether the planned procedure makes sense and is appropriate. Since structured planning can prevent methodological errors and thus the risk of using an inappropriate method, such planning can save a lot of time afterwards.

Such planning also helps to reflect which product and contribution the research work should contribute to the knowledge. The Methods Map by SAGE Publishing (N.D.) has proven to be a clear and helpful support for examining and questioning aspects of research methods. This can be used to ensure that all relevant aspects have been addressed and is therefore a useful checklist.

• SAGE Publishing (N.D.) Methods Map. Available from: https://methods.sagepub.com/methods-map/research-methods [Accessed 26 November 2022].

The subject of this unit was data collection methods and the advantages and disadvantages of the respective methods.

Fuelcycle (2019) has provided a good overview of different research methods, emphasizing the respective strengths of the methods. While I have not yet finally planned my future investigation, the overview of the data collection methods helps to be able to develop possible focal points and to be able to consider in advance which options for data collection are feasible but also sensible in an explicit case.

Particularly memorable in this context was the Hawthorne Effect, which makes it clear that the unwanted influence on an investigation can take place simply through the existence of the investigation and must always be taken into account (Dawson, 2015). Regardless of the data collection method, this effect must be considered.

While my planning of the investigation will continue to manifest itself in the next units, the findings from this unit must be reflected periodically so that an appropriate data collection method is selected and developed.

• Dawson, C. (2015) Projects in Computing and Information Systems: A Student’s Guide. Harlow: Pearson. Available from: https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?docID=5176771 [Accessed 2 December 2022].
• Fuelcycle (2019) The Three Most Comon Observation Research Methods. Available from: https://fuelcycle.com/blog/the-3-most-common-observation-research-methods/ [Accessed 27 December 2022].

The focus in this unit was on interview and survey methods and how these are anchored in the context of our planned capstone project and research in general.

The importance of interviews and surveys was emphasized and the consideration of the definitions of population and sample determined the urgent need for these data collection methods. Since in most cases it is not possible to examine a whole, samples must be used in order to be able to make statements (Levy & Lemshow, 2008). The significance of this depends on the quality of the sample, since a poor selection of a group to be examined can falsify the results and the data collected therefore have little or no validity.

The importance of the investigation methods in the context of the qualitative and quantitative investigation and the associated choice of data collection were also emphasized again. It becomes apparent that this represents an imminent factor which must always be taken into account when designing research theses and the associated planned data collection and must be adapted according to the possibilities but also to the objective.

The dangers and consequences of misusing surveys were discussed in the reflective activity on the Cambridge Analytica case study. This can be used to illustrate that the inappropriate use of surveys can not only cause damage to those affected, but also to the entire social level. An in-depth analysis can be found under Artefacts.

• Levy, P. S. & Lemeshow, S. (2008) Sampling of populations methods and applications. 4th ed. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley. Available from: https://www.vlebooks.com/Product/Index/1028034?page=0 [Accessed 29 December 2022].

In this unit, the difference between questionnaires and surveys was highlighted and the advantages and disadvantages of each were considered. Furthermore, as part of the wiki activity, a selected questionnaire was critically examined and suggestions for improvement were developed in order to train one's own personal skills in relation to the development of questionnaires. In addition, in view of the project proposal planned for unit 10, it was reflected which of the data collection methods is more suitable for the selected research focus and to what extent closed or open questions appear more appropriate.

The in-depth examination of data collection methods, which ties in with the previous unit, makes it clear in this unit how many factors have to be taken into account when choosing the method and designing it accordingly.

One aspect that was particularly emphasized here was the respect with which the respondents must be treated. I consider this emphasis to be important because it not only preserves the dignity of the subjects, but also makes them more willing to contribute openly and productively to the research work through respectful treatment at eye level. Respectful treatment of the respondents should therefore not only be taken into account at all times for ethical reasons, but also because this can increase the quality of the research (Weisberg, 2005).

Looking back at the past units, it can be stated that regular reflection and adjustment of the methodology must be carried out, as this can always be better developed according to the state of knowledge. Even if a general understanding of the methods and procedures of data collection is known and trained, one's own skills can be continuously improved.

• Weisberg, H. F. (2005) ‘Ethics in Surveys: Respecting Respondents’ Rights’, in Weisberg, H. F. (eds) The Total Survey Error Approach: A Guide to the New Science of Survey Research. Chicago, Scholarship Online. Available from: https://academic.oup.com/chicago-scholarship-online/book/18179/chapter-abstract/176131988?redirectedFrom=fulltext [Accessed: 29 December 2022].

The subject of this unit was the dimensions of validity, generalisability and reliability of quantitative and qualitative research methods. These aspects are of fundamental importance in order to produce meaningful as well as verifiable and consistent results in the research work and thus to be able to make a scientifically appropriate contribution to research.

While in the context of quantitative research, validity, generalisability and reliability are dimensions that can be ensured and verified through statistical evaluations in a transparent and easily comprehensible manner, qualitative research is subject to the risk of bias and inappropriate data collection methods or evaluation methods of presenting or evaluating the research results in a distorted form (Kaplan & Maxwell, 2005).

As a result, an appropriate methodology and reflected application of this is necessary, especially with regard to qualitative research methods, in order to meet the demands of scientific work. Since in the field of cyber security, in addition to quantitative research, qualitative research also plays an important role in order to be able to research processes and backgrounds in depth, well thought-out and considered choices of methods as well as a stringent and transparent evaluation are fundamental prerequisites for successful qualitative research work. A good approach for this can be found in the Qualitative Legitimation Model, which should be taken into account when choosing the research design and the choice of methods (Onwuegbuzie & Leech, 2007).

• Kaplan, B. & Maxwell, J. A. (2005) Qualitative Research Methods for Evaluating Computer Information Systems: New York, Springer. Available from: https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/reader.action?docID=264813&ppg=26 [Accessed 14 January 2023].
• Onwuegbuzie, A. J. & Leech, N. L. (2007) Validity and qualitative research: An oxymoron?. Quality & quantity 41(2): 233-249. Available from: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11135-006-9000-3 [Accessed 14 January 2023].

Following the last unit, statistical inference, the evaluation of quantitative research methods, was discussed in this unit. Basic statistical parameters and variables were analysed, which can be examined in a quantitative evaluation in order to be able to develop meaningful and valid results.

Refreshing my knowledge of statistical analysis methods made sense for me, as it brought back my prior knowledge of quantitative research evaluation. I was reminded of the scientific approach of Poppers' philosophy of science, which forms a central part of scientific work and the understanding of the construction of research. Popper's approach to falsifiability as a fundamental part of the philosophy of science states that a theory has scientific value only if it can be refuted in principle (Popper, 1989). This basic idea forms the construct on which scientific work should be based, since this is the only way to conduct research and experiments that are comparable and investigable.

Furthermore, the tasks in this unit for the exemplary evaluation of quantitative studies using Excel or the equivalent of Libre Office were helpful for me, since I had not previously carried out the statistical studies digitally and were therefore not familiar with the versatile functions of the spreadsheet programs. It was enlightening for me to see how intuitively usable the Libre Office spreadsheet program in particular is and how this not only speeds up the evaluation, but also makes it easier. Thus, these tasks have helped to expand my skills in terms of my analytical ability.

• Popper, K. R. (1989) Logik der Forschung. Available from: https://api.pageplace.de/preview/DT0400.9783050050188_A21834005/preview-9783050050188_A21834005.pdf [Accessed 16 January 2023].

The aim of this unit was to investigate evaluation methods for analysing qualitative data. Again, the spreadsheet programs from Microsoft Office as well as Libre Office were used. However, the visualisation methods performed can also be applied to quantitative data, since the central part of the unit related to the creation of tables.

As in the previous unit, the application examples and tasks carried out in this unit were helpful for me to further develop my skills with the two spreadsheet programs. In the past I have primarily worked with the analysis and visualisation program QtiPlot, which in principle offers the same possibilities for data evaluation as the programs used in this module (QtiPlot, N.D.). When comparing these programs, I noticed that, in my opinion, QtiPlot is less complicated to use to create visually appealing tables. The Libre Office spreadsheet program in particular also has limited options for adapting the charts, which was noticeable in a direct comparison to Excel. Which of the programs to use for evaluations should therefore be decided on a situational basis.

In addition to the practical applications, theoretical aspects of the qualitative analysis of research data were also considered. Berenson et al. (2015) was able to provide a good overview of possible visualisation methods. However, which of these methods is most suitable for illustration must be coordinated depending on the data situation and the desired presentation goal. A basic general guide is therefore not possible.

In the decision-making of suitable visualisation methods, as well as the basic procedure of qualitative research planning and implementation, important insights were developed and consolidated. I consider the central contributions of contextualisation and enrichment as a contribution to quantitative research to be a particularly important approach to qualitative research investigation (Learning for Action, N.D.). The interdependence of the initially contradictory approaches of qualitative and quantitative research becomes evident. The website of Humans of Data (2018) offers a good overview of the respective possibilities of qualitative and quantitative analysis methods. The theoretical knowledge gained from this unit can now be applied and consolidated with regard to the Research Proposal in Unit 10 in order to train and consolidate the competent application of the knowledge gained.

• Berenson, L., Levine, D. & Szabat, K. (2015) Basic Business Statistics: Concepts and Applications. 13th Ed. Pearson. Available from: https://web.s.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=dd68388c-fa31-4365-9887-4e65066cdde6%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=1419545&db=nlebk [Accessed 28 January 2023].
• Humans of Data (2018) Your Guide to Qualitative and Quantitatve Data Analysis Methods – Atlan. Available from: https://humansofdata.atlan.com/2018/09/qualitative-quantitative-data-analysis-methods/ [Accessed 28 January 2023].
• Learning for Action (N.D.) Analyzing Qualitative Data. Available from: http://learningforaction.com/analyzing-qualitative-data [Accessed 28 January 2023].
• QtiPlot (N.D.) QtiPlot – Data Analysis and Scientific Visualisation. Available from: https://www.qtiplot.com/ [Accessed 28 January 2023].

In this unit, techniques and factors to be considered for successful research writing were discussed and recommendations for effective time management and project planning were given.

While I have already written some research papers on various topics and therefore have certain knowledge about creating scientific papers, I was able to gain some insights from this unit. This includes the structuring recommendations that Farquhar (2012) mentions in relation to the creation of longer theses. A considered structuring of the planned work can make a significant contribution to developing the central goals of the thesis and thus to working towards the planned result in a goal-oriented and effective manner. This not only enables effective time planning, but also ensures that the end product meets the personal goals as well as the scientific requirements.

With regard to time management, procrastination, an imminent danger of research work planned over several weeks, has emerged as an important aspect of personal planning. While there can be many reasons for postponing the processing of planned work, a central reason for procrastination in research work, which is the research project, is the feeling of being overwhelmed due to the huge amount of work required to achieve the goal (Grund & Fries, 2018). In order to counteract this challenge, it makes sense to divide the research project into small sections. This breaks down what appears to be overwhelming work into manageable segments that appear feasible to work through.

I found other good recommendations in the University of Essex handbook. Orienting the instructions for the research project to the acronym S.M.A.R.T, which stands for specific, measureable, advantageous, realistic and time-framed, helps to plan and carry out the project in a goal-oriented manner (University of Essex, 2012). In my future planning and implementation of the research project, I will consider and reflect on this support and knowledge in order to be able to carry out my project as structured as possible on the one hand and to further develop my personal skills on the other.

• Farquhar, J. D. (2012) ‘Writing and Presenting Your Research’, in: Farquhar, J. D. (eds) Case Study Research for Business. London: SAGE. 113-128. Available from: https://methods-sagepub-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/book/case-study-research-for-business/n9.xml [Accessed 04 February 2023].
• Grund, A. & Fries, S. (2018) Understanding procrastination: A motivational approach. Personality and Individual Differences 121: 120-130. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886917305937 [Accessed 04 February 2023].
• University of Essex (2012) How to write a research project. Available from: https://www.my-course.co.uk/pluginfile.php/259821/mod_resource/content/1/UoE%20-%20How%20to%20Write%20a%20Research%20Project.pdf [Accessed 04 February 2023].

The focus of this unit was to reflect on the possibilities and benefits of creating and maintaining an e-portfolio. For me, the greatest value of the e-portfolio created as part of the MSc Cyber Security course was the continuous consolidation and questioning through the embedding and repeated reflection of the knowledge learned. The study by Handel et al. (2020), which concludes that the continuous maintenance of an e-portfolio can have a positive impact on student performance, confirms this perception.

The e-portfolio offers a way of structuring created artefacts, being able to illuminate them in the overall context, embedding them in the prevailing knowledge, as well as reflecting on the learning process and the state of knowledge in order to be able to plan further development approaches and learning goals in the next step (Andriotis, 2017 ). The portfolio can help to personally take advantage of the opportunities to process own knowledge and skills, but the performer is still responsible for successfully and comprehensively exploiting the own potential. Strategies should therefore be sought and applied, such as assessing own skills and on the basis of which a profitable reflection can take place. From my perspective, a simple and at the same time very effective approach is the SWOT analysis (Quast, 2013). The acronym SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. The assessment of strengths and weaknesses leads to the causal question of how these can be strengthened and expanded, which are matched by the opportunities and threats.

In addition to the current benefits that the e-Portfolio offers in the context of study, a properly maintained portfolio can also provide opportunities for future professional success. E-portfolios are increasingly being used by employers as a basis for hiring decisions. From the employer's point of view, e-portfolios offer the possibility of differentiating candidates, expanding and supplementing insights into the candidate's fit into the company and completing the candidate's impression through online media (Weber, 2018).

• Andriotis, N. (2017) The 6 Benefits of ePortfolios and How to Create Them. Available from: https://www.efrontlearning.com/blog/2017/02/requirements-benefits-eportfolios-training.html [Accessed 11 February 2023].
• Händel, M., Wimmer, B. & Ziegler, A. (2020) E-portfolio use and its effects on exam performance–a field study. Studies in Higher Education 45(2): 258-270. Available from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03075079.2018.1510388 [Accessed 11 February 2023].
• Quast, L. (2013) How To Conduct A Personal SWOT Analysis. Forbes. Available from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisaquast/2013/04/15/how-to-conduct-a-personal-s-w-o-t-analysis/?sh=231c466428d8 [Accessed 11 February 2023].
• Weber, K. (2018) Employer Perceptions of an Engineering Student’s Electronic Portfolio. International Journal of ePortfolio 8(1):57-71. Available from: http://www.theijep.com/pdf/IJEP272.pdf [Accessed 11 February 2023].

Project management and the application of risk management using tools to plan, implement, control and adapt projects in a target-oriented manner formed the conclusion of the module. The arc was drawn from individual projects, such as the capstone project as part of the MSc Cyber Security course, to project management in a professional context with teams to be organized. The findings from this unit are therefore profitable in two ways. On the one hand, they help to be able to plan the planned Capstone project appropriately and thus to be able to be successful, especially with regard to time management. On the other hand, the knowledge gained can be of great value in the professional future, since the ability to plan and accompany projects appropriately is a prerequisite for success and productivity in teams.

A project can be defined as a "one-time activity that produces a specific output and or outcome" so that project management can be summarized as a process of "planning, organizing and managing the effort to accomplish a successful project" (Management Library, 2022 ). From this it can be concluded that in order to achieve the set objective, methods and tools should be used to enable the process to be structured.

From my point of view, the waterfall approach and the SCRUM approach represent two contrary methods of project management, which can be applied to a large number of projects under different framework conditions. While the waterfall approach depicts a stringent, linear development process, the SCRUM approach differs in that it is flexible and adapted to the situation (Mircea, 2019). It should be noted that the waterfall approach, which is considered outdated, can offer advantages, especially in the context of small projects, since the stringent structure enables clear objectives and can therefore be evaluated as more result-oriented, like the agile SCRUM approach, in which sub-goals are defined in individual sprints and being persecuted (Höfner, 2019). However, the SCRUM approach offers flexibility, which can be of particular value in extensive projects with large and possibly fluctuating teams. In addition, the SCRUM approach makes it possible to intervene and change a plan so that a more adapted risk management can take place.

Risk management as part of project management represents a significant factor in the success of a project. While risk management can be done on a quantitative as well as qualitative level, basic tasks can be identified in the process which provides a guide. Tasks can be structured through identification, classification, planning, monitoring, mitigation implementation and communication (CAST, N.D.). In this context, the SWOT analysis can also be used, which was already discussed in the previous unit.

The change of perspective towards opportunity management can be evaluated as an important finding in the area of risk management. Maylor (2010) states that "there is always risk with any endeavour, and how this is managed will have a large impact on the success or otherwise of the project". At the same time he describes risk as a trade-off between time, costs and quality. In my opinion, risk management should therefore not only be viewed from the pessimistic perspective of threat prevention, but rather from the optimistic perspective of the possibilities and the resulting potential.

Finally, this unit made it clear once again that the knowledge acquired should be viewed as an intertwining of personal, academic and professional areas of competence. The knowledge and skills I have learned will not only help me to develop and consolidate my skills in a personal context, but also to carry out a successful Capstone project that contributes to science in an academic context. But the knowledge is also be used in relation to the professional future in order to be able to be more productive and competent.

• CAST (N.D.) Risk Management in Softwar5e Development and Software Engineering Projects. Available from: https://www.castsoftware.com/research-labs/risk-management-in-software-development-and-software-engineering-projects [Accessed 15 February 2023].
• Höfner, A. M. (2019) Impact analysis of project management methods on management and decision-makers: A comparison between the agile SCRUM method and the sequential Waterfall method. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Andreas-Hoefner/publication/341566866_Impact_Analysis_of_project_management_methods_on_management_and_decision-makers_-_A_comparison_between_the_agile_SCRUM_method_and_the_sequential_Waterfall_method/links/5ec76ef492851c11a87db440/Impact-Analysis-of-project-management-methods-on-management-and-decision-makers-A-comparison-between-the-agile-SCRUM-method-and-the-sequential-Waterfall-method.pdf [Accessed 15 February 2023].
• Management Library (2022) All About Project Management. Available from: https://management.org/projectmanagement/index.htm#anchor440783 [Accessed 15 February 2023].
• Mircea, E. (2019) Project Management using Agile Frameworks. Economy Informatics 19(1): 34-44. Available from: https://economyinformatics.ase.ro/content/EN19/04%20-%20mircea.pdf [Accessed 15 February 2023].

The Research Methods and Professional Practice module was the last building block of the MSc Cyber Security course before the final capstone project and the dissertation. This made it possible to build on the knowledge and skills acquired during and before the course. The module covered a variety of topics where personal development can be observed. This includes considering, choosing and designing appropriate research methods and experimental designs, in-depth and structured literature researches, peer discussions and peer review processes, as well as mitigating researcher bias and thereby striving for objectivity and validity. I consider the ethical principles and problems that can affect computer experts to be a particularly important aspect, which, looking back over the course of my studies, underwent particular changes and was of central importance in this module.

Due to my scientific background in physics and geography, I looked at cyber security from the same perspective at the beginning of my studies, which is based on basic rules that must be observed. Otherwise there is a violation of existing laws. Ethical aspects, based on the laws, had a subordinate role.

A first paradigm shift took place in the NISM module, within the framework of which ethical hacking was carried out, so that I took on the role of a whitehead hacker (more details can be found at: https://mgeiger94.github.io/MSc-Cybersecurity-E-Portfolio/3Networkandinformtaionsecuritymanagement.html). This first change in perception of ethical principles showed me that laws as regulations for cyberspace are not sufficient to act responsibly towards society (Himma, 2008). Laws form the basis on which actions and interactions in cyber space are based. However, due to various factors, this foundation is not extensively attuned to the newly created human-made space of the Internet. The growth and further development of the possibilities and thus incoming dangers of the Internet are developing faster than the legal regulations, especially in an international context (Fenwick et al., 2016).

Another significant step in my personal perception of the importance of ethics in cyber security took place in the THM module (more details can be found at: https://mgeiger94.github.io/MSc-Cybersecurity-E-Portfolio/7Thehumanfactor.html). Here it was made clear to me that unethical behaviour in cyber space towards customers, users and stakeholders does not have to be directly associated with legal violations. In this regard, Hartson & Pyla (2018) name a large number of ethical aspects that should be taken into account when creating a website or application in order to improve the user experience on the one hand, but also to prevent possible deception of the user on the other. This was the first time that the ethical understanding was decoupled from existing laws, since it became clear to me that unethical actions in cyberspace do not necessarily have to go hand in hand with violations of the law.

The conflict between law and ethics was highlighted to me in the PDFCYL module (more details can be found at: https://mgeiger94.github.io/MSc-Cybersecurity-E-Portfolio/8Principlesofdigitalforensicsandcyberlaw.html). A particularly memorable insight was that due to ethical concerns, criminal prosecution is subject to limited freedom of action, especially in cyber space. Not only forensic scientists, who are committed to the principle of respect for privacy, are subject to limited freedom of investigation. Ethical principles and behaviour are also imposed on investigative authorities to uncover crimes, as illustrated by the legal term agent provocateur and the associated unethical approach to identifying criminals (Pentney, 2021).

Finally, this module examined the influence and consequences of disregarding ethical principles and how this can be viewed from different perspectives. It was of particular value to me to be able to take different perspectives of ethical principles and behaviour. The case studies of the Association of Computing Machinery have spanned the diversity of the field of conflict of ethics in relation to cyber security, while the Code of Conduct of the British Computer Society made it possible to compare my own ethical understanding with social agreements (British Computer Society, 2022).

While I considered the first collaborative discussion in this module to be interesting and beneficial for personal development and a comparison with my own level of development of ethical understanding, I rate the second collaborative discussion to be particularly influential on my personal development. The case study conflicts between legal requirements, professional obligations and interdependencies, as well as social responsibilities and also personal ethical understandings, clearly showed how complex ethics can be from a professional and scientific point of view. In my opinion, it could also be made clear here that, beyond ethical principles, the own decisions in practical individual cases cannot be made as clearly as they appear through principles or guidelines such as the Code of Conduct (Woermann & Cilliers, 2012). A continuous further development and reflection of my own ethics and competencies of ethical behaviour is therefore fundamentally necessary. However, in relation to cyber space, cyber security and scientific research, this is of even greater priority. Rapid continuous technical progress such as the artificial intelligence ChatGPT shows that personal ethics must grow to the same extent through new possibilities in order to be able to act responsibly (OpenAI, 2022).

The discussion of the case studies from both collaborative discussions with peers has significantly helped to be able to take different perspectives and thus to expand the complex personal ethical understanding. From my point of view, however, I have to state that these possibilities were not used extensively. Due to few module participants and low participation, the discussions were not as productive as they could have been. A division of the module participants into teams, which had to take opposing positions, could possibly have led to greater participation (Hillier & Dunn-Jensen, 2013). However, it should be noted that the participation of such formatives is the responsibility of the students and that although various framework conditions can be created, these are no guarantee for a better outcome.

Looking back at my ethical development process during my MSc Cyber Security course, it is interesting to note that this can be compared to the individual stages of moral development according to Kohlberg (Kohlberg, 1971). Based on this knowledge, plans for further competence development of my own ethics can be developed. A continuous process of learning and reflection is necessary for the further development of the own ethics. In order to guarantee this, a consideration of current case studies and an analysis of them is a good way to further develop my own ethical skills. Current examples such as the AI ChatGPT, should be considered, so that a case study is examined at least once a month and its consequences on my ethical perceptions are reflected (Librenz et al., 2023).

• British Computer Society (2022) Code of Conduct for BCX Members. Available from: https://www.bcs.org/media/2211/bcs-code-of-conduct.pdf [Accessed 10 February 2023].
• Fenwick, M., Kaal, W. A. & Vermeulen, E. P. (2016) Regulation tomorrow: what happens when technology is faster than the law. Am. U. Bus. L. Rev. (6):561-594. Available from: https://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1028&context=aublr [Accessed 10 February 2023].
• Hartson, R. & Pyla, P. S. (2018) The UX book: Agile UX design for a quality user experience. Morgan Kaufmann. Available from: https://www-sciencedirect-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/book/9780128053423/the-ux-book?via=ihub= [Accessed 10 February 2023].
• Hillier, J. & Dunn-Jensen, L. M. (2013) Groups meet... teams improve: Building teams that learn. Journal of Management Education 37(5): 704-733. Available from: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1052562912459947 [Accessed 11 February 2023].
• Himma, K. E. (2008) Ethical issues involving computer security: Hacking, hacktivism, and counterhacking. The handbook of information and computer ethics 191-217. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Luciano-Floridi/publication/227979531_Foundations_of_Information_Ethics/links/60f1b2689541032c6d4615d3/Foundations-of-Information-Ethics.pdf#page=226 [Accessed 09 February 2023].
• Kohlberg, L. (1971) Stages of moral development. Moral education 1(51): 23-92. Available from: https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/56952142/Stages_of_Moral_Development_According_to_Kohlberg-libre.pdf?1531052031=&response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DStages_of_Moral_Development_According_to.pdf&Expires=1675952876&Signature=DM1a-NfTOlyzIoycD5Q59Cj6rXidzQzRnITluYoTEI5CDd~qPcM6w0Tek7xZqJBwNbWkcLjOes4R5ERDZl-WP33JIWJ5IPxAZDNvFn~zDIMWbUILJ-U4uO7~GyAZzKCh8muQAZYxGBuGrOg0EbAyR5Pv9VOF6J-hYwDNxGHMtENGk9i9mTjV4YfRcMevyhq10ydRK50pMJ3q3pJ-iSWDh0TPcblxlQzkCk-BZSdhdkR3QWNltTqCddwt9eNOCVtzn2yctki9qioUvV9Bn7y94G3zEfRl60MImJ5F4S8WTmSIw5EX1wjCI15Q8HTDHK-e1v0ZWrH5gMisyUXdHvYE~Q__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA [Accessed 10 February 2023].
• Liebrenz, M., Schleifer, R., Buadze, A., Bhugra, D. & Smith, A. (2023) Generating scholarly content with ChatGPT: ethical challenges for medical publishing. The Lancet Digital Health. Available from: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landig/article/PIIS2589-7500(23)00019-5/fulltext [Accessed 11 February 2023].
• OpenAI (2022) ChatGPT: Optimizing Language Models for Dialogue. Available from: https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt/ [Accessed 09 February 2023].
• Pentney, K. (2021) Licensed to kill… discourse? agents provocateurs and a purposive right to freedom of expression. Netherlands Quarterly of Human Rights 39(3): 241-257. Available from: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/09240519211033429 [Accessed 09 February 2023].
• Woermann, M. & Cilliers, P. (2012) The ethics of complexity and the complexity of ethics. South African Journal of Philosophy 31(2): 447-463. Available from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02580136.2012.10751787 [Accessed 10 February 2023].