The Ethics of Hacking

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The Ethics of Hacking

• Kristine Belknap

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What is Hacking?

• What is 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
• 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

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Hacking Scenario A

• Most people barely use their computers
  processing powerWould it be wrong to borrow
  their computer systems while they arent using
  them?

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Hacking Scenario A

• Most people barely use their computers
  processing powerWould it be wrong to borrow
  their computer systems while they arent using
  them?
• Working on a problem that requires lots of
  computing power

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Hacking Scenario A

• Most people barely use their computers
  processing powerWould it be wrong to borrow
  their computer systems while they arent 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

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Hacking Scenario A

• Consequentialism
• Deontological Ethics
• Virtue Ethics

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Hacking Scenario A

• Consequentialism
• As long as the computers are left exactly as they
  were found
• Deontological Ethics
• Virtue Ethics

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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 dont touch anything.
• Virtue Ethics

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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 dont touch anything.
• Virtue Ethics
• Its still the computer equivalent of breaking
  into someones home

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Hacking Scenario B

• What if the systems being hacked belong to the
  bad guys?

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Hacking Scenario B

• What if the systems being hacked belong to the
  bad guys?
• Ex. Using a Denial-of-Service Attack to crash a
  terrorists website.

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Hacking Scenario B

• What if the systems being hacked belong to the
  bad guys?
• Ex. Using a Denial-of-Service Attack to crash a
  terrorists website.
• Ex. Hacking into a criminals computer to
  retrieve and decrypt files that can be used as
  evidence.

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Hacking Scenario B

• What if the systems being hacked belong to the
  bad guys?
• Ex. Using a Denial-of-Service Attack to crash a
  terrorists website.
• Ex. Hacking into a criminals computer to
  retrieve and decrypt files that can be used as
  evidence.
• Ex. Cyber Warfare

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Hacking Scenario B

• Consequentialism
• Deontological Ethics
• Virtue Ethics

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Hacking Scenario B

• Consequentialism
• Does it count against you if any harmful
  consequences are only to bad people?
• Deontological Ethics
• Virtue Ethics

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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

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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
• Its still like breaking into someones home.

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Conclusion

• Scenario A
• Scenario B

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Conclusion

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

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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.