Cyber Security Ethical Issues Associated With Ransomware Case Study

Cyber Security

Ethical issues associated with ransomware

It is only natural that people who are known to you will send you messages through your email address. It is lost on me how those engaging in ransomware business access information about their potential victims like the email address as to send you messages that have been infected that when opened infect the whole computer. These people engage in irregular activities. For the residents of the United States it is even mind boggling for a law enforcing agency like the criminal investigation department to extort money from the citizens claiming that the affected parties visited illegal pornographic sites. The law is very clear incase one is caught violating law (IEEE, 2014). Such people should be subjected to the criminal justice system as opposed to extorting ransom from them. It is common for unsuspecting members of the public to use weak passwords for their email accounts. Such accounts are easily preyed on by cyber criminals. However, is it ethical for somebody to irregularly secure some important data and use it for his personal gain? Should such people capitalize on error by original owners for not using secure passwords to their e-mail accounts? Take an example of a homeowner who leaves his door unlocked. Does any one therefore have any right to break into his house by the virtue of the fact that he left his door unlocked? Theft of unprotected data that those engaging in ransomware business, capitalize on is definitely a matter that will certainly be a subject to discussion for a very long time. Another ethical issue that this case elicits is the issue of privacy to sensitive personal information (IEEE, 2014). Do individuals have rights to keep that information private especially in the context of the ransomware? An email address contains very crucial information about an individual including his business dealing. Anybody having access to such information can do damning damages to the affected individual. Crucial information like ones medical records and social security records can be accessed by the ransomware gangs by intercepting information in ones inbox. The economy has become more and more dependent on computer controlled devices. How much faith should be placed in the hands of software programs? Are the programs any safer and what mechanisms can be put in place to ensure that such programs are safe now that the ransomware gangs are targeting the program software? Now that the network of nuclear defense missiles is computerized will such crucial systems also fall to the hands of software gangs? Should…