A regulated member of ASET receives a phone call from a client requesting information about...

Confidentiality is a cornerstone of professional ethics. The ASET Code of Ethics explicitly requires members to act with integrity and maintain confidentiality regarding the business affairs, technical processes, and personal data of their clients and employers. Information gathered during a professional relationship legally and ethically belongs to the client, not the technologist. Therefore, a professional cannot freely or even partially share one client's information with another, even if the clients are in the same industry or the member believes the information is harmless. However, saying "do not under any circumstances share" is technically incorrect, as confidentiality can be waived by the owner of the information. The correct and ethical procedure, if a member believes sharing the information could be mutually beneficial or is necessary, is to explicitly request permission (informed consent) from the client whose information is being sought. Only after receiving clear, preferably written, authorization from the original client can the member legally and ethically share that specific information.