The rapidly growing spread of technology and information into all sectors of the public and private sectors, coupled with the very fast spread of computer security information as well as analysis tools renders virtually any computing platform subject to attack. Fortunately, a wealth of information and tools are also available with which organizations may defend themselves - often by using technologies which are similar to the aggressors'. Inroads are being made toward addressing issues of computers, crime, and conflict at various stages of development for computer-users. Many corporations are defining what constitutes legitimate use of their computing resources and formally proclaiming their positions in corporate computing security and use policy documents, which are enforced as corporate edicts. The added exposure and debate of these issues will help establish norms for behavior, and assist in identifying misdeeds.
Some problems remain, however.
Legal precedents determined in courtrooms often do not have analogous precedents, and, therefore, are likely to have unpredictable results. Additionally, while the codes of ethics or conducts being adopted by professional organizations seek to ensure proper and professional behavior on the part of their members, these codes of conduct sometimes include very general terms, such as those restricting their associations' members from performing harm. At the other end of the spectrum, it would be very hard to identify any job which produces absolutely no harm. All of these aforementioned policies and mechanisms will contribute to the growing awareness of computer security and related ethical issues. Although there are a great number of players engaging in information warfare and computer conflict, methods by which computers may be effectively secured are known.