Computer Ethics 10 Commandments

1.    If you are to choose your top three difficult–to-follow computer ethics commandments, what are these? Explain why.

The ten computer ethics commandments are really not easy to follow but for me the top three that I would really have a hard time to follow would be (1) the 6^th commandment which states,  “ Thou shalt not use or copy software for which you have not paid.”, (2) the 7^th commandment, “Thou shalt not use other people’s computer resources without authorization.” And the last one and is the least difficult- to-follow computer ethics is the 3^rd commandment which states, “ Thou shalt not snoop around other people’s files”.  The 6^th commandment for me is the most difficult-to-follow computer ethics commandment because I’m already used to using and copying softwares that I have not paid for.  Though I’m already expose to what we call “free and open source software” I’m really having a hard time mastering the new softwares and therefore I continue to use the unpaid softwares even though I’m violating the 6^th commandment.  The 7^th commandment is not really difficult to follow but basing on what I’m practicing now with my friends’ computer resources obviously I’m violating this commandment.  For me the difficultness to follow this commandment is case-to-case basis because in the case of my friends’ computers, I use their resources without their proper authorization, but maybe with other people I will not have the guts to use their computer resources without their authorization especially those people that I do not know.  The least among the top three difficult-to-follow commandments that I have choosen is the 3^rd commandment.  Among the 10 computer ethics commandments it is one of the most frequent commandment that I have violated so I guess it is difficult to follow.  Just like the 7^th commandment it also a case-to-case basis especially when we talk about our friends’ files particularly when the files that I’m snooping around are movies I don’t really ask for my friend’s permission.

2.   Suppose you are to add 2 more commandments to the existing 10 commandments of computer ethics, what are these?  Are these two new commandments equal importance to the existing ones? Discuss.

The commandments that I think I would add are the following:

(11)Thou shalt use a computer to forcibly gain access to private accounts (email accounts, user accounts and etc).

(12)Thou shalt write a program that can destroy or damage other computer   softwares.

I think these commandments are of equal important to the existing commandments because these additional two commandments just like the existing ones aim to ensure security for anyone who would use a computer.  Its purpose is to promote usage of computer without having some people’s rights being abuse.

3.   What is ransomware? Which of the 10 computer ethics commandment is violated by ransomware?

Ransomware is a form of malware in which rogue software code effectively holds a user's computer hostage until a "ransom" fee is paid. Ransomware often infiltrates a PC as a computer worm or Trojan horse that takes advantage of open security vulnerabilities. Most ransomware attacks are the result of clicking on an infected e-mail attachment or visiting a hacked website.  Upon compromising a computer, ransomware will typically either lock a user's system or encrypt files on the computer and then demand payment before the system or files will be restored  (http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/R/ransomware.html).

I think ransomware violates the 4^th commandment to not use a computer to steal.  Implementing ransomware is just a form of stealing because you take a property of other people WRONGFULLY (in this case the files) for you to gain money.