...So they break into protected systems to release hoarded information. The Idle system argument claims that most computers sit idling by wasting cycles. Therefore it is acceptable for hackers to break in and use these wasted cycles because it benefits the overall society by providing more people with access to computing power. The student hacker argument addresses the issues around the learning process of breaking into systems. People claim that by breaking into systems, one can learn a great deal about computers and therefore these types of educational break-ins are not unethical. There is also a threat that people will break into computer systems to cause sabotage or aid in terrorism. There has been little evidence of such activities released to the public, but it is known that both the CIA and NSA are experimenting with computer viruses as strategic weapons. I find this to be slightly ironic because the United States is one of the only nations that could actually be crippled by such a virus.
 As we mature, however, ethics take on a new meaning and importance, especially as we begin a professional career. Computer education now begins in grade school, it is no longer a restricted technical specialty, learned only as a part of on-the-job training or in an engineering or mathematics graduate program. Computers have become as commonplace as telephones. The related ethical issues have thus become more democratically defined. More people have more to say about computer ethics simply because so many more people are computer-literate. On the other hand, the diffuses of the impacts and the wide distribution of the technology mean that recognizing impacts, let alone solving an ethical dilemma, is much more difficult...
 ...With the heightened awareness of the lack of privacy that exists in cyberspace, the many members of the computing community have embraced the usage of encryption. However, encryption has many legal barriers that restrict it. The United States government fears that the widespread usage of encryption by people because it fears that it will not be able to crack encrypted transmissions and will not be able to enforce law as effectively as it has in the past. It also fears that the exportation of advanced American encryption devices and techniques poses a significant risk to national security. This is why encryption devices and algorithms are classified as munitions. Some current examples in the encryption field are PGP and RSA encryption...

Essay Empire