A consultant has been hired by the V.P. of a large financial organization to assess the company's security posture. During the security testing, the consultant comes across child pornography on the V.P.'s computer. What is the consultant's obligation to the financial organization?

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A consultant has been hired by the V.P. of a large financial organization to assess the company's security posture. During the security testing, the consultant comes across child pornography on the V.P.'s computer. What is the consultant's obligation to the financial organization?

Accepted Answer

B. Stop work immediately and contact the authorities. Child pornography is a federal crime under laws such as 18 U.S.C. SS 2256, and knowingly failing to report it can itself constitute a criminal offense in many jurisdictions. The consultant must stop work immediately to preserve evidence integrity and contact law enforcement authorities directly. The severity of the crime overrides any contractual confidentiality obligations with the hiring organization.

Answer

A. Say nothing and continue with the security testing. Continuing work without reporting constitutes knowing concealment of a federal crime, which can expose the consultant to criminal liability.

Answer

C. Delete the pornography, say nothing, and continue security testing. Deleting the material destroys evidence of a crime and could result in obstruction of justice charges against the consultant.

Answer

D. Bring the discovery to the financial organization's human resource department. Reporting to HR is insufficient because child pornography is a criminal matter for law enforcement, not an internal HR issue.

A consultant has been hired by the V.P. of a large financial organization to assess the company's security posture. During the security testing, the consultant comes across child pornography on the V.

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