Ethical Analysis of WannaCry Ransomware Attack

This assignment delves into the WannaCry ransomware attack, utilizing an ethical framework to analyze its consequences and explore potential preventive measures. It covers six key questions related to ethics in technology, including the identification of stakeholders, the nature of the moral dilemma, and the evaluation of various response options. The analysis highlights the importance of cybersecurity best practices and ethical considerations in mitigating the risks associated with cyberattacks.

Running head: WANNA CRY RANSOMWARE ATTACK
Wanna Cry Ransom ware Attack
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note:

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Discussion..................................................................................................................................2
Wanna Cry Ransom ware Attack...........................................................................................2
Doing Ethics Technique.........................................................................................................3
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................6
References..................................................................................................................................8

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Introduction
ICT or information and communication technology is the most important part of
information technology, which helps in accessing, storing, transmitting and manipulating
information (Dewey, 2016). This information and communication technology mainly refers
to the amalgamation of audio systems or video systems to the networks of
telecommunications and computers. This amalgamation is done with the help of a cable or
with a linking system. The merging of the network of the telephone with the network system
of computer is done by utilizing a single system for the management and distribution of
signal and even cabling (Shafer-Landau, 2012). The entire applications, methods and
concepts of the information and communication technology are constantly changing in
regular time.
The following report describes about the popular case of Wanna Cry Ransom ware
Attack that took place in May 2017. This case study was the perfect example of ethical
dilemma in information and communication technology. This report discusses about the case
study in terms of Doing Ethics Technique (Fromm, 2013). The six typical questions of Doing
Ethics Technique are being discussed in this particular report. Relevant recommendations are
also given in the report. The details of the above discussion are given below.
Discussion
Wanna Cry Ransom ware Attack
Wanna Cry Ransom ware attack is considered as one of the most dangerous cyber
attacks in the entire world. This cyber attack occurred by the most degrading Wanna Cry
ransom ware crypto worm (Woollaston, 2018). It targeted various computers that were
running the typical operating system of Microsoft Windows. The hacker eventually encrypted

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the data and demanded ransom payments. They instructed that the payments should be done
in terms of Bitcoin crypto currency. The entire cyber world was shaken due to this dangerous
cyber attack. This attack was ceased after some days of discovery for the emergency patches
that were released by Microsoft. They discovered a specific kill switch, which stopped all the
infected systems from spreading of the Wanna Cry further (Woollaston, 2018). It was noticed
that about 3,00,000 computers were affected in all over 150 countries. Approximately billions
of dollars were spent in this cyber attack.
Doing Ethics Technique
The Doing ethics technique is a specific technique in ethics that eventually answers
six typical questions for any particular situation. This technique helps in understanding the
entire scenario of any particular case study and how this case study can be evaluated easily
(Trevino & Nelson, 2016). The doing ethics technique promptly answers few questions that
are required to be answered for any particular situation.
1. What is going on?
On 12th May 2017, a dangerous cyber attack took place in the entire world. This cyber
attack was named as the Wanna Cry ransom ware attack. The crypto worm namely, Wanna
Cry ransom ware was responsible for this deadly cyber attack (Niebuhr, 2013). On 12th May,
2017, Friday morning, around 3,00,000 computers were infected in more than one hundred
and fifty countries all over the world. This crypto worm targeted those particular computers,
running the Microsoft Windows operating system. The operating system of system has
millions of encrypted data within it. During this cyber attack, the data of the Microsoft
Windows operating system was encrypted completely (Fromm, 2013). The hackers or the
intruders demanded for huge ransom for removing the crypto worm. They demanded for

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Bitcoin crypto currency. This attack lasted for few days and after that, the kill switch was
created by a security researcher.
2. What are the issues?
Several issues were present in the cyber attack of Wanna Cry crypto worm. The major
issue that was registered was the exploitation of the attack of the crypto worm. These issues
and challenges were extremely degradable for the cyber world (Crane & Matten, 2016). The
main issue was that the crypto worm detected and encrypted each and every data of the
operating system of Microsoft Windows and the details were exposed in front of the world.
Microsoft and all users of that operating system were highly affected due to this. It is
observed that around three lakhs computers were infected in the process and all the data of
those users were at stake (Keown, 2016). This was absolutely not accepted by the users and
there was no remedy for the cyber attack. The users and the Microsoft organization was
extremely frustrated in the entire process as the attack lasted for some days before a kill
switch was created by security researcher.
3. Who is affected?
All the users and the Microsoft organization were affected in the case study. The
Wanna Cry crypto worm was released by a group of hackers for the purpose of hacking the
Microsoft Windows operating system and extracting huge ransom in terms of crypto currency
(Miller et al., 2012). Each and every user, which counted more than three lakhs computers
were infected in this attack. The most affected countries were India, Russia, Ukraine and
Taiwan. The major infected and affected system includes the popular health centre in the
United Kingdom, known as the National Health Service of UK. Most of the details of the
patients of that health service were open to the world due to this cyber attack (Niebuhr,
2013). Although the entire database was not affected in National Health Service, however,

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major part of the system was affected. Therefore, the major affected persons include the users
and the Microsoft organization.
4. What are the ethical issues and implications?
This particular case study has various ethical issues. The hackers of this cyber attack
were being extremely unethical in their causes. At first, the Wanna Cry crypto worm was
released so that the Microsoft Windows operating system can be easily affected (Peters,
2015). Microsoft Windows is considered as one of the best operating system in today’s
world. Therefore, when this particular operating system was affected and attacked by a crypto
worm, it is needless to mention that the work of the users was stopped due to this. The data of
the users were absolutely opened in front of the world and when certain computers or systems
tried to stop the crypto worm from spreading further, the dangerous crypto worm attacked
and affected those systems as well (Niebuhr, 2013). The hackers had the wrong intension of
exploiting the weaknesses of the users and they demanded of huge ransom amount. the
hackers demanded of bullions of Bitcoin crypto currency for the remedy of Wanna Cry
Crypto worm. The entire world was shaken due to this cyber attack. Moreover, this attack
lasted for three distinct days, which was again extremely dangerous for the cyber world. The
entire act was noted as the most dangerous cyber attack in the history of the cyber world.
Around three lakhs systems were affected due to this (Crane & Matten, 2016). The cyber
attack was registered as the most unethical act and no ethical issues were present in the cyber
attack.
5. What can be done about it? What options are there?
The unethical act of Wanna Cry crypto worm mainly occurred in the older versions of
Microsoft Windows. The users who were affected in the cyber attack were using the
operating system of Microsoft Windows (Dewey, 2016). There were various measures that

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would have stopped the cyber attack of Wanna Cry Crypto worm easily. The several options
that were present in this case study was installing and utilizing an antivirus software and the
regular updates of the antivirus software. This software will check so that there is no entry to
the restricted websites and no attachment is opened if not necessary (Peters, 2015). The other
option includes the daily backup of all the important files.
6. Which option is the best?
The best option amongst the above mentioned options was the installation and
utilization of antivirus software (Banks, 2012). This particular software will detect and stop
the virus attacks in the operating system and thus this type of cyber attacks can be easily
stopped.
Conclusion
Therefore, from the above discussion it can be concluded that, information and
communication technology is the most significant portion of the information technology. It
eventually helps in the access, storage, transmission and manipulation of information. This
particular information and communication technology majorly is referred to the mixture of all
the audio and video systems with the relevant networks of computers and
telecommunications. This mixture of networks and systems is solely done by a specific cable
or by any linking system. This integration of any network of the telephone to any network
system of a computer is completed by the utilization of a unified system for the purpose of
cabling, management and even distribution of signal. The complete methods, applications,
and the concepts of the information and communication technology are regularly altering in
regular time. Ethics is the specific division of knowledge that deals with the principles of
morality. This ethics always govern a particular person’s behaviour on the basis of his
actions. Doing ethics technique helps in the analysis of any distinct situation. The above

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report has outlined the entire case study of Wanna Cry Ransomware attack with the help of
doing ethics technique. The report has described the case study briefly and has answered the
six questions of doing ethics technique. Proper recommendations are also given in the report.

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References
Banks, S. (2012). Ethics and values in social work. Palgrave Macmillan.
Crane, A., & Matten, D. (2016). Business ethics: Managing corporate citizenship and
sustainability in the age of globalization. Oxford University Press.
Dewey, J. (2016). Ethics. Read Books Ltd.
Durkheim, E. (2013). Professional ethics and civic morals. Routledge.
Fromm, E. (2013). Man for himself: An inquiry into the psychology of ethics (Vol. 102).
Routledge.
Keown, D. (2016). The nature of Buddhist ethics. Springer.
Miller, T., Birch, M., Mauthner, M., & Jessop, J. (Eds.). (2012). Ethics in qualitative
research. Sage.
Niebuhr, R. (2013). Moral man and immoral society: A study in ethics and politics.
Westminster John Knox Press.
Peters, R. S. (2015). Ethics and Education (Routledge Revivals). Routledge.
Shafer-Landau, R. (Ed.). (2012). Ethical theory: an anthology(Vol. 13). John Wiley & Sons.
Trevino, L. K., & Nelson, K. A. (2016). Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to
do it right. John Wiley & Sons.
Woollaston, V. (2018). WannaCry ransomware: what is it and how to protect
yourself. Wired.co.uk. Retrieved 13 January 2018, from
http://www.wired.co.uk/article/wannacry-ransomware-virus-patch