The Morality of Hacking - Lauri Love

Question 1: The Computer Misuse Act and Lauri Love

Answer Question 1 from Part One and choose 2 other questions from Part Two.

1.Please submit through CANVAS.  Ensure you name the uploaded file with your enrolment number.

2.Please insert page numbers in your document

3.For question one (compulsory question) the answer should fit on maximum two pages (absolute maximum is two pages) using font Arial size 11 and with standard margins of 2.54 cm all round (this is what Microsoft Word defaults to) and using Microsoft Word normal line spacing. 

4.The answer to the questions in Part Two should fit on one page each (and one page only).

5.References for each question (if appropriate) should be on a separate page.  Therefore, you will submit one file with the answer to the 3 questions.   Anything that runs over the page limits for each question will not be marked (excluding references).  Therefore, your answer will be a maximum of four pages and any extra pages will be references.

6.It would help us if you can submit your file in Microsoft Word or a .pdf file.

7.Please note this coursework will be run through TurnItIn.

8.There is no need to include a cover sheet.

Compulsory Question 40 marks.

The morality of hacking – Lauri Love

In November 2016 the Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, signed an order for the extradition of a man to the United States (US), where he is accused of computer hacking offences.  Lauri Love was accused of hacking into the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the US central bank and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).  Please note that Lauri Love had been accused, he had not been found guilty.    In February 2018 Love was told that he no longer faces extradition to the US.  However, Love now faces the prospect of a trial in the UK, under the Computer Misuse Act, for allegedly working with others to break into computer systems belonging to the US government.

a)The Computer Misuse Act (CMA) makes provision for convicting people of criminal offences relating to computers.   Briefly describe the three sections of the CMA.   If Lauri Love were to be tried in the UK under which section of the act do you think he should be tried under and why?

b)Consult the list of fundamental principles of the BCS code of conduct and identify four principles that are relevant to the moral and ethical problem brought up by the Lauri Love case.

c)Evaluate the actions of Lauri Love from the point of view of Kantianism, Utilitarianism and Social Contract Theory. 

d)Reach a conclusion about the morality of Lauri Love’s actions overall.

Question 2.   This question is to do with Accessibility and the use of Humanoid Robots in Society.  30 marks.

Steven Hawking was an English theoretical physicist.  As well as his scientific work he also achieved commercial success with his book a “Brief History of Time” and appeared in several episodes of the American comedy programme “The Big Bang Theory”.  In 1963 Hawking was diagnosed with motor neurone disease that gradually paralysed him over the decades.  Even after the loss of his speech he was still able to communicate through a speech generating device.  Answer the following questions. (You may refer to Steven Harking as an example.)

a)What are the differences and similarities between ‘accessibility’ and ‘usability’?

b)How can access for people with disabilities be enhanced by technology?Give three examples together with the impairments they address.                                   
c)In the paper “Granny and the robots:  ethical issues in robot care for the elderly”*  what are the six ethical issues raised in the Abstract of the paper?  Choose three of these ethical issues and explain them in your own words?  You may use the humanoid robot Pepper as an example.

Question 3.  This question is to do with Intellectual Property Rights and Open Source Software. 30 marks.

a)With digital music streaming services, such as Spotify, a small amount of money goes to the artist of each song that is played/streamed.  Therefore, the artist has some reward for his/her efforts.  Explain the concept of Intellectual Property and Intellectual Property Rights in your own words.  Give your opinion as to how this applies to computer software.

b)What is the difference between copyright and a patent?  Which do you think is more suitable for computer software?

c)How is open source software different from licensed proprietary (owned) software?  Explain the difference between object code and source code in your answer. Also, comment on the effect Linux has had on the proprietary software market.    

d)What is meant by a Creative Commons license?  Give an example of how the licences can be used?

This question is about computer reliability and data protection with the GDPR. 30 marks.

In April 2018 a computer failure at the TSB caused up to 1.9 million people to lose access to online banking services. The introduction of a new IT system left many TSB customers struggling to make transactions and see their balances.  Some TSB customers claimed to have seen the details of other customers’ accounts.

a)What were the reasons given for the failure in the TSB case?  Why is this an important contemporary issue?

b)Explain any three of the main changes which were introduced in GDPR.

c)What is the difference between personal and sensitive data?  Why is this necessary?

d)Why should the ICO investigate the TSB?