Topic 2 DQ 2: Ethical Issues in the Scenario

An anonymous group of software developers creates a tool that scans websites on the internet and identifies hackable unpatched vulnerabilities associated with those websites. The company then catalogs its findings and makes its findings public. The developers hope that the tool will force website administrators to fix those vulnerabilities. However, bad actors might exploit the disclosed vulnerabilities first. The tool’s creators are aware of this risk. The creators point out that scanners that find web vulnerabilities have always existed. This one just makes the results public. After all, if the website’s users and their investors can see the publicly disclosed vulnerability, they’ll fix it pretty fast.

Before replying to the discussion question, please review the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics’ Framework for Ethical Decision-Making, which details ethical lenses. Through a Christian worldview, address the following:

• What ethical issues do you spot in this scenario?
• What aspects of the ethical landscape do the ethical lenses of rights, justice, utilitarianism, virtue, and the common good highlight?

Tutorial for Ethical Issues in the Scenario