Kristine Belknap

The Ethics of Hacking

What is Hacking?
 What is Hacking?




▪

▪
What is Hacking?
 What is Hacking?
 The computer equivalent of breaking and entering.



▪

▪
What is Hacking?
 What is Hacking?
 The computer equivalent of breaking and entering.
 What are Hackers?


▪

▪
What is Hacking?
 What is Hacking?
 The computer equivalent of breaking and entering.
 What are Hackers?
 “True” Hackers

▪
 Other Hackers (Cyber Criminals)
▪
What is Hacking?
 What is Hacking?
 The computer equivalent of breaking and entering.
 What are Hackers?
 “True” Hackers
▪ Computer geeks who see computer systems as an
intellectual challenge and a technological puzzle to solve.
▪ Hack for the sake of hacking…
 Other Hackers (Cyber Criminals)
▪ The ones that do it solely for the money…
Hacking Scenario A…
 Mostpeople barely use their computer’s
processing power…
Would it be wrong to “borrow” their computer
systems while they aren’t using them?


▪
Hacking Scenario A…
 Mostpeople barely use their computer’s
processing power…
Would it be wrong to “borrow” their computer
systems while they aren’t using them?
 Working on a problem that requires lots of
computing power…

▪
Hacking Scenario A…
 Mostpeople barely use their computer’s
processing power…
Would it be wrong to “borrow” their computer
systems while they aren’t using them?
 Working on a problem that requires lots of
computing power…
(It could even be for a good cause…)
▪ Ex. Analyzing Human DNA to figure out which genes are
linked to certain diseases…
Hacking Scenario A…
 Consequentialism

 Deontological Ethics

 Virtue Ethics

Hacking Scenario A…
 Consequentialism
 As long as the computers are left exactly as they
were found…
 Deontological Ethics

 Virtue Ethics

Hacking Scenario A…
 Consequentialism
 As long as the computers are left exactly as they
were found…
 Deontological Ethics
 Breaking and entering is still breaking and entering
even if you don’t touch anything.
 Virtue Ethics

Hacking Scenario A…
 Consequentialism
 As long as the computers are left exactly as they
were found…
 Deontological Ethics
 Breaking and entering is still breaking and entering
even if you don’t touch anything.
 Virtue Ethics
 It’s still the computer equivalent of breaking into
someone’s home…
Hacking Scenario B…
 What if the systems being hacked belong to
the “bad guys”?



Hacking Scenario B…
 What if the systems being hacked belong to
the “bad guys”?
 Ex. Using a Denial-of-Service Attack to crash a
terrorist’s website.


Hacking Scenario B…
 What if the systems being hacked belong to
the “bad guys”?
 Ex. Using a Denial-of-Service Attack to crash a
terrorist’s website.
 Ex. Hacking into a criminal’s computer to retrieve
and decrypt files that can be used as evidence.

Hacking Scenario B…
 What if the systems being hacked belong to
the “bad guys”?
 Ex. Using a Denial-of-Service Attack to crash a
terrorist’s website.
 Ex. Hacking into a criminal’s computer to retrieve
and decrypt files that can be used as evidence.
 Ex. Cyber Warfare
Hacking Scenario B…
 Consequentialism

 Deontological Ethics

 Virtue Ethics

Hacking Scenario B…
 Consequentialism
 Does it count against you if any harmful
consequences are only to bad people?
 Deontological Ethics

 Virtue Ethics

Hacking Scenario B…
 Consequentialism
 Does it count against you if any harmful
consequences are only to bad people?
 Deontological Ethics
 Breaking and entering is still breaking and entering
and in these scenarios damage is being done.
 Virtue Ethics

Hacking Scenario B…
 Consequentialism
 Does it count against you if any harmful
consequences are only to bad people?
 Deontological Ethics
 Breaking and entering is still breaking and entering
and in these scenarios damage is being done.
 Virtue Ethics
 It’s still like breaking into someone’s home.
Conclusion
 Scenario A


 Scenario B


Conclusion
 Scenario A
 1 Yes, contingent on everything being put back
where it was found.
 2 No.
 Scenario B


Conclusion
 Scenario A
 1 Yes, contingent on everything being put back
where it was found.
 2 No.
 Scenario B
 1 Yes, if you count harm to the “bad guys” as a
positive.
 2 No.