By Kathryn DuFresne

WHAT are computer ethics? Computer Ethics is a branch of practical philosophy which deals with how computing professionals should make decisions regarding professional and social conduct via the computer. This could include topics such as copyright infringement, internet control, and general internet privacy.

WHY is this important? Ethics leaves you talking a lot about what is good and what is bad to do on the internet. Does the Internet foster democracy and freedom of speech? Or does it hurt us in the long run? Is it immoral or wrong to copy software, music, or movies? With more storage of personal data for social networking arises the problem of selling that information for monetary gain. How safe is our information?

WHAT is cyber warfare? Through using computers and the Internet as weapons, it is completely possible for a hacker with a computer to disable critical infrastructure in a major city and disrupt essential services, to steal millions of dollars from banks all over the world, infiltrate defense systems, extort millions from public companies, and even sabotage weapon systems. A 2010 report from Norton found that nearly two-thirds of people worldwide have been the victim of cybercrime. A 2009 study done by McAfee shows cybercrime, including data theft and security breaches, may have cost global businesses as much as $1 trillion globally.

WHY is this important? Dropping a new kind of bomb, while exposing the codes for the attacks. They can become freely available, and allow others to use them. Some viruses can create huge disasters, such as explosions or opening flood gates on a dam, or even steal documents concerning National Security (and other countries who hate other countries would not be so happy about this, and immediately start pointing fingers.)

Examples _more _more YOUR PANTS Minor problem, a large section (months worth) of data lost ANONYMOUS and SYRIAN MINSTRY OF DEFENSE Anonymous is a loosely organized group of individuals identifying with a certain weird bunch of values like anarchy and "don't mess with us." They hack things that piss them off. There are apparent political motivations with this, however the hacktivisim seems secondary to the thrill of the actual hacking. RUSSIAN MAFIA Revenues in the BILLIONS from stealing credit card numbers STUXNET and IRAN FOUR 0-day exploits [An exploit that has not been released into the wild. Only the hacker, and possibly their close associates, know about the security hole at this point] (no computer virus has used more than 1), infected thousands of computers using industrial programs, only activated in the centrifuges refining uranium.

Proposed solutions to solve these problems THERE ARE NONE Although, Legislation will more than likely be created to protect us, and that will a) ruin all the good things about the internet and b) not ever be effective.

Conclusion Cyber warfare proposes a whole new type of threat, that is almost impossible to track down and prosecute.

Sources threat/p threat/p ore ore 87.shtml 87.shtml

Any suggestions on how to make this better?