Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The Ethics of Hacking
The Ethics of Hacking
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What is Hacking?
What is Hacking?
The computer equivalent of breaking and entering.
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What is Hacking?
What is Hacking?
The computer equivalent of breaking and entering.
What are Hackers?
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What is Hacking?
What is Hacking?
The computer equivalent of breaking and entering.
What are Hackers?
“True” Hackers
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Other Hackers (Cyber Criminals)
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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?
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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…
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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.