Computer Break-In Ethics Essay Example

but it does not provide a comprehensive education on computer systems.The second argument made by student hackers is that computers are expensive and hacking provides a cost-effective way to further their education. This argument suggests that in modern society, where technology is costly, hacking offers a solution to obtain knowledge. However, this argument ultimately fails because hacking cannot provide a comprehensive and fundamental education, especially when dealing with complex systems in futuristic times.

The final argument presented by student hackers is that their creations, such as viruses, are intended to be harmless and are simply meant to help them learn how to write complex programs. This argument can be divided into two sub-arguments which I will analyze separately. Let's begin by examining the second sub-argument.

The second sub-argument claims that students are learning how to write complex programs in an era where computer systems are highly intricate. While this may seem convincing, the entire argument loses its strength when we consider the first sub-argument. The fact that a virus was intended to be harmless does not matter to any company, institution, or individual because the cost associated with restoring the system is expensive. The economic component of restoring system integrity for an already complicated system undermines the influence of this entire argument.

The argument that hackers break into systems to watch instances of data abuse and to help keep “Big Brother” at bay is a reasonable reason presented in Spafford's article. This argument becomes more credible in the future as data abuse by corporations and government agencies becomes more rampant. However, there are two flaws in this argument: first, it assumes that hackers can prevent data abuse

without engaging in network activities themselves; second, it fails to provide reassurance to individuals who entrust their sensitive information to unknown hackers. Despite these flaws, the argument of being a social protector is still relevant, especially in an age where even basic tasks like eating can be performed by robots.