Eller Business Analytics Manager Discusses Need for Ethics Standards in the Data World in Information Management Magazine

Arthur Delsing, manager of business analytics projects in the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona, published an editorial in Information Management on September 27 addressing the urgent need for ethics standards and protocols in data analytics and management.

Noting how the explosion of data has resulted in “incredible opportunities for unauthorized access or release of private information,” Delsing expresses concern that the frequency of data breaches is causing “data breach fatigue” among consumers, resulting in consumer malaise regarding data security.

“We too often fail to emphasize what data breaches could really mean to the individual—e.g., financial ruin, loss of security clearance—which often have a ripple effect on the economy,” he says.

The solution? Get proactive. Delsing recommends the “formation of a global governance body to establish protocols for the ethical use and protection of data.” Because, he concludes, “when we include ethics into the data management equation, everyone benefits.”

Delsing, who directs Eller’s Master’s in Business Analytics program, began his career in the U.S. Navy and has since worked in information technology and data analytics for Motorola, IBM, Intuit and other organizations. With a particular interest in aligning people and processes and identifying operational efficiencies to add value, Delsing holds graduate certificates in health information technology and integrated health systems as well as a Master’s in Human-Computer Interaction.