Ethical Theories Applied: Analysis of Rent-a-hacker Site Data Breach

This assignment analyzes the ethical implications of a data breach from a 'Rent-a-hacker' website, exploring the actions of requesters, the hacking marketplace, the victim websites, and the targets of hacking attempts. The paper applies four classical ethical theories: utilitarianism, deontology, virtue theory, and contract theory, to evaluate the morality of hacking activities. Utilitarianism is applied to assess the consequences, deontology to assess the inherent rightness or wrongness, virtue theory to assess the character of the actions, and contract theory to assess the violation of agreements. The analysis considers scenarios such as account hacking and data theft, concluding that all theories condemn such actions, as they undermine trust and violate ethical principles. The assignment underscores the importance of ethical considerations in the digital age and the need to protect privacy and data security.

Rent-a-hacker site leaks Australian buyers' names and addresses
Assignment 3: Applying Ethical Theory
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Rent-a-hacker site leaks Australian buyers' names and addresses
1. Introduction
Privacy is the right to not being intruded upon (International Association of Privacy
Professionals) and holds value for individuals, companies, organizations, and nations. The
topic being discussed (Tung, 2015) is the commercialization of services for invading
someone’s privacy in online world. In other words, there is a marketplace where people can
invite bids for hacking tasks. Now, the requests may be to hack into one’s own locked out
account, spouse’s account, university’s grades database, or a competitor’s database. The
various parties concerned in this scenario are the requester, the hacking marketplace, the
victim website, and the person who is the target of hacking attempt.
2. Utilitarianism Theory
Utilitarianism theory has its eyes blindfolded to anything other than the consequences
(White). The theory comes in two flavors - rule and act. Both flavors though want to
maximize the benefit to the maximum number of people. The former version of theory is
relatively rigid, while the latter tries to take into account the case being discussed. The
author of this paper classifies the presented examples into two categories. The first one is
where a user requested that his personal account on a website be hacked since he has
locked himself out. The second one contains all other requests.
In the first category, the user is asking the hacker marketplace to hack into a website where
he has locked himself out. In this scenario, the utility is to the person requesting, the hacker
who will be paid. However, the website being attacked is not benefited in any way
whatsoever. Still, such actions are universalize-able as everyone person hacking every other
person’s account will lead to breakdown of the system.
Regarding the second category, where the attacker launches hacking attempts at a victim
e.g. raising grades, capturing competitor data, etc. the verdict is straightforward. Utility of
such attacks may be tangible for the attacker and the person being paid to carry out the
attack, but again, the ethical theory cannot allow every person to carry out such actions.
Thus, this is also condemned.
As discussed above, none of the cases discussed in the original news source are of utility to
the greater number of people in a way that can be permitted without any razing of the social
structure (Madrid). Thus the Utilitarianism ethical theory forbids the hacking attempts, the
marketplace, and experts providing their hacking services, whatever their pleaded motive
may be.
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Rent-a-hacker site leaks Australian buyers' names and addresses
3. Deontology Theory
Deontology has its parameters crystallized and is firm on what goes and what does not.
Under this school of ethics, there is no deviance, no matter the consequences anticipated
(Ethics Unwrapped). Thus, if an action can be deemed to be ethically repulsive, then under
this school of thought, it will remain so no matter what motivations, or rationalizations are
offered. Such clarifications will help in evaluating situations where emotionally flammable
scenarios are being examined e.g. a person hacking to confirm if their spouse is cheating on
them.
Regarding the acts, the scenario in general is the willful attack on the assets of some
person, or organization that are being safeguarded by a business running the website. A
specific case is one an attack is requested on one’s online handle from which someone has
locked himself out. Now, the website on which the data is maintained is under no obligation
to entertain hackers. Being attacked, or to put it directly, breaking into someone else’s
property is ethically wrong under Deontology ethics.
Thus, attacking in each and every circumstance is forbidden. The verdict under this analysis
is clear that such actions are not allowed under Deontology school of ethics.
4. Virtue Theory
Being a good person, and doing the right action at the right time is what Virtue theory is
about. The theory wants betterment of all involved (BBC), with no extreme inclinations, a sort
of middle path. This theory claims that excess abundance and excess shortage of anything,
both are wrong.
The issue is about people requesting paid services of experts to break into digital assets of
websites and bring back details of certain users on that website. The reasons for their desire
include getting access back to one’s account after the person has locked himself out,
checking whether the spouse is cheating, or furthering one’s business by arranging details
on competitor’s business. Such actions may appear virtuous to the attackers, but an analysis
from an all-encompassing level will clarify.
In all these cases, there seems to be no betterment except for the experts hired, the
marketplace, and the people who want this hacking to be done. On the other hand, the
website and the people who have been the targeted victims lose a lot. The websites lose
integrity of their system, while the extent of the victim’s loss cannot be calculated. For
example, let us say that a student wants to change her grades in the University system.
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Rent-a-hacker site leaks Australian buyers' names and addresses
Being successful in such an act would be a mockery of every student who has worked hard
to attain a good score. Thus, there is no human betterment on the whole here. Generalizing
from the discussed example, the author concludes that Virtue theory forbids such acts.
5. Contract Theory
Contract theory of ethics has a simple premise and that morality or ethics do not depend on
any God, or is not rigid. Instead this theory claims that to avoid the brutish scenario of war of
all against all (Seven Pillars Institute, 2016), rational actors who are selfish and free enter
into contracts do so. Upon doing so the both parties give up something and they both end up
in better situation. For example, an employee wants currency, and an employer wants tasks
done. Both agree to exchange these, enter a contract, and are better off in the final scenario
where the worker got money to spend, and the business got the requisite tasks done.
Now, the websites have a contract with the users to protect their data. Thus, the website
company will be failing in its duty if it allows a hacking attack to be successful. On the other
hand, a contract will be undertaken by the attacker, and her instrument – the expert hired by
her. However, any such contracts hold no weight under the Contract ethics as an agreement
to overturn another one’s fair agreement is coming from a deceitful place. Analyzing the
scenario of a businesswoman trying to steal secrets of a competitor businessman is a
breach of the unwritten contract of the capitalist marketplace where every business has the
right to run itself the way it feels, and due to private ownership, only the owner of an asset
has the ethical right to it. If the owner company wants to, it can release those details to
public, but accessing so otherwise is a breach of the contract of the business environment in
which both the attacking company and the victim company operate. Thus, such actions are
not permitted.
All in all, Contract theory goes against such actions because such actions break all
contracts, written and unwritten, between all parties concerned except for the thieves
themselves which do not hold water.
6. Conclusion
As must have been evident throughout the paper, the act of actively hacking into someone\s
account for data is forbidden by the vantage point of every theory considered. It is the view
of the author of the paper too as such an act if endorsed will lead to a downfall of trust in the
system. Such a trust in the system is essential for any of the ideals espoused by any
reasonable school of ethics.
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Rent-a-hacker site leaks Australian buyers' names and addresses
References
BBC. (n.d.). Virtue ethics. Retrieved from BBC:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/introduction/virtue.shtml
Ethics Unwrapped. (n.d.). Deontology. Retrieved from Ethics Unwrapped:
http://ethicsunwrapped.utexas.edu/glossary/deontology
International Association of Privacy Professionals. (n.d.). What does privacy mean? Retrieved from
International Association of Privacy Professionals: https://iapp.org/about/what-is-privacy/
Madrid. (n.d.). Utilitarianism and Kant . Retrieved from Utilitarianism and Kant :
https://www.slu.edu/Documents/Madrid/academics/Utilitarianism%20and%20Kant.pdf
Seven Pillars Institute. (2016, August 26). War of All Against All. Retrieved from Seven Pillars
Institute: https://sevenpillarsinstitute.org/glossary/war-of-all-against-all/
Tung, L. (2015, May 29). Rent-a-hacker site leaks Australian buyers' names and addresses. Retrieved
from SMH: https://www.smh.com.au/technology/rentahacker-site-leaks-australian-buyers-names-
and-addresses-20150529-ghca3f.html
White, R. F. (n.d.). THE PRINCIPLE OF UTILITY. Retrieved from MSJ:
https://faculty.msj.edu/whiter/utility.htm
Do not remove the following marking sheet.
Marking Sheet
Criteria Standards
Marks
awarde
d
Classical
Ethical
Theory
(Value
60%)
HD: Demonstrates an excellent ability at applying ethical theories to
the ethical issues. (51-60)
DI: Demonstrates a good ability at applying ethical theories to the
ethical issues. (45-50.4)
CR: Makes a genuine attempt at applying the ethical theories to the
ethical issues. (39-44.4)
PS: The ethical theories do not link well with the ethical issues. (30-
38.4)
FL: The ethical theories are not properly applied to the ethical issues.
(0-29.4)
Writing &
structure
(Value
20%)
HD: Language features and structures are used to convey meaning
effectively, concisely, unambiguously, and in a tone appropriate to the
audience and purpose with no spelling, grammatical, or punctuation
errors. (17-20)
DI: Well developed skills in expression & presentation of ideas. Fluent
writing style appropriate to assessment task/document type. Grammar
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Rent-a-hacker site leaks Australian buyers' names and addresses
& spelling accurate. (15-16.8)
CR: Good skills in expression & clear presentation of ideas. Mostly
fluent writing style appropriate to assessment task/document type.
Grammar & spelling contains a few minor errors. (13-14.8)
PS: The text contains frequent errors in spelling, grammar, word
choice, and structure, lacks clarity, and is not concise, but the meaning
is apparent to the reader with some effort. (10-12.8)
FL: Rudimentary skills in expression & presentation of ideas. Not all
material is relevant &/or is presented in a disorganised manner.
Meaning apparent, but writing style not fluent or well organised.
Grammar & spelling contains many errors. (0-9.8)
Conclusion
(Value
10%)
HD: Superior conclusion that ties the results of the analysis together
into a coherent, logically valid & convincing argument. (8.5-10)
DI: Very high standard conclusion that ties the results of the analysis
together into a coherent, logically valid & convincing argument. (7.5-
8.4)
CR: High standard conclusion that ties the results of the analysis
together into a coherent, logically valid & convincing argument. (6.5-
7.4)
PS: Rudimentary conclusion that provides a convincing argument. (5-
6.4)
FL: Sub-standard (or no) conclusion. (0-4.9)
Referencing
(Value
10%)
HD: Referencing is comprehensive, demonstrates academic integrity,
and conforms exactly to APA style conventions. (8.5-10)
DI: Very good referencing, including reference list and citations. High
quality references. (7.5-8.4)
CR:Good referencing, including reference list and citations. Good
quality references. (6.5-7.4)
PS:Referencing is comprehensive, mostly accurate according to APA
style conventions, and demonstrates academic integrity. Some minor
errors or omissions in style and formatting choices (e.g. italics,
punctuation, etc) don’t impact on the transparency and traceability of
the source, or demonstration of academic integrity. (5-6.4)
FL: Sub-standard (or no) referencing. Poor quality (or no) references.
(0-4.9)
Total
Marks
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