Cybersecurity and Ethics

As digital services move to cloud, mobile, and online platforms, cybersecurity and cyber law have become inseparable. Technical controls reduce risk, while legal and ethical frameworks define what is acceptable, accountable, and defensible when incidents occur.

This book starts with computing, networks, and cyber ethics, then builds core security concepts such as threats, vulnerabilities, and cryptography. It explains common cybercrimes and attack patterns, and related governance mechanisms, and walks through investigation, digital evidence, and forensic methods. Later chapters cover electronic records and e-governance, intellectual property in cyberspace, e-commerce law and consumer protection, international cyber law (including treaties and cross-border issues), and, finally human rights topics such as privacy, surveillance, speech, and access.

By the end, readers will navigate cybersecurity with ethical insight, recognizing risks, understanding compliance, and applying sound legal and ethical reasoning in practice.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
● Ethical foundations of security goals, threats, vulnerabilities, and attack vectors.
● Responsible use of cryptography, authentication, and access control.
● Ethical analysis of cybercrimes, including malware, hacking, phishing, and online fraud.
● Legal and ethical responsibilities under the India IT Act, including e-records, digital signatures, and key authorities.
● Ethical handling of digital evidence and principled approaches to forensic investigations.

WHO THIS BOOK IS FOR
This book serves undergraduate and graduate learners and early-career professionals looking to understand cybersecurity and cyber law through an ethical framework. It also supports SOC analysts, compliance professionals, auditors, investigators, and legal-tech practitioners engaged in ethically managing digital evidence, privacy, e-commerce, and incident response.

1. Foundations of Computing in Technology, Networks, and Ethics
2. Cybersecurity Fundamentals
3. Cyber Ethics and Professional Issues
4. Cyber Threats and Crimes
5. Cyber Law in India
6. Cybercrime Investigation and Forensics
7. Electronic Records and Governance
8. Intellectual Property in Cyberspace
9. E-commerce Law
10. International Cyber Law
11. Human Rights in Cyberspace

Dr. Murthy Rallapalli is a cybersecurity expert and technology leader with over 25 years of industry experience. He has held senior executive and architectural roles at global corporations such as IBM, Honeywell, and Ernst and Young in the U.S., where he led transformative initiatives in cybersecurity, data privacy, artificial intelligence, and enterprise architecture. Currently, he serves as professor of practice in cybersecurity at the University of North Georgia, where he teaches advanced cybersecurity and computer science topics while mentoring the next generation of technology professionals. He also serves as a consultant to organizations such as Guidehouse, advising on advanced emerging technologies, including quantum computing and post- quantum cryptography.

Academically, Dr. Rallapalli holds a Ph.D. in systems engineering with a specialization in data privacy from Stevens Institute of Technology, a master’s degree from Regis University, and a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Osmania University. He also completed a foundational program in quantum computing at MIT and has served as an IBM Quantum Computing Ambassador. He holds several top-tier certifications, including CISSP and IBM's prestigious senior certified architect designation at the thought leader level. Over the course of his career, he has been granted numerous technical patents in the areas of privacy and data security. He is also the author of several IBM Redbooks and technical publications.

Beyond academia and industry, Dr. Rallapalli is a globally recognized speaker, having presented at major national and international conferences. As a fulbright scholar recognized by the U.S. Department of State, he has delivered lectures and led research collaborations in countries including Kosovo, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Iceland. His work as a fulbright specialist and keynote speaker in global cybersecurity forums underscores his commitment to ethical technology development and cross-border knowledge exchange. This book, Cyber Security and Ethics, draws from this vast reservoir of experience, offering a principled and practical perspective on the digital world’s most pressing challenges.