Assignment 1: Discussion—Ethical Hacking
You will reference your text and one other scholarly reference in your response to this assignment. Make sure you use your spelling checker and grammar checker.
A hacker is an individual with technical skills and creative savvy who is willing to push the limits of technology in order to discover the boundaries and weaknesses of a computer or networked system in order to gain unauthorized access to that system. The use of the term hacker often means that the individual is willing to cross ethical boundaries in order to test and gain access to a system. An ethical hacker is an individual hired by an organization to break into the selected organization’s information systems but to do so in a principled manner. Ethical hackers use the same methods and techniques used by traditional hackers with one difference, the ethical hacker is someone who is trusted by the organization to discover vulnerabilities or weaknesses in a system and then report these issues back to the organization so that the issues can be fixed. For example, a bank might hire an ethical hacker to test the security of their banking system. If the ethical hacker discovers a method to steal money from the bank undetected, the ethical hacker will report this information and not use it to their advantage.
Ten years ago, the term ethical hacker was viewed as an informal term used by management. It was used to describe individuals that were willing to cross traditional ethical boundaries in order to protect systems from those outside individuals that are not concerned with ethical issues. The primary concern is that an ethical hacker has to be willing to push the ethical boundary to match those conditions that would be used by a traditional hacker. Some security experts state that the term ethical hacker is a misnomer. An ethical hacker seems to imply the same contradiction that we might find in attempting to define an ethical thief.
Using the module readings and the University online library resources, research perspectives regarding ethical hacking.
Respond to the following:
- Can the actions of a hacker be ethical and still be effective? Why or why not?
- What ethical issues does management need to consider when attempting to secure information systems?
- What are some possible benefits of hiring ethical hackers?
- What are some possible detriments to hiring ethical hackers?
- Should management hire ethical hackers to verify the security of their information systems?
Give reasons and examples in support of your responses.
Write your initial response in approximately 300 words. Apply APA standards to citation of sources.
- Introduce new thoughts or ideas on this topic.
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Assignment 1 Grading Criteria
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Maximum Points
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Examined whether the actions of a hacker can be ethical and still be effective.
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8
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Explained the ethical issues involved in management attempting to secure information systems.
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8
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Listed and described possible benefits of hiring ethical hackers.
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4
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Listed and described some possible detriments to hiring ethical hackers.
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4
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Explained if management should hire ethical hackers to verify the security of their information systems.
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8
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Actively contributed to the discussion by providing points of view with rationale, challenging points of the discussion, or drawing relationships between points of the discussion.
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4
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Wrote in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrated ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources; displayed accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
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4
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Total:
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40
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Assignment 2: Discussion—Ethical, Social, and Political Issues In your response to this assignment, you will provide in-text citations and a ‘References’ section following your APA Manual (6th ed.). You will reference your text and one other scholarly reference in your response to this assignment. Make sure you use your spelling checker and grammar checker prior to submitting your work. I look forward to your posts!
Information is data that is framed in a specific context. In this sense, information is contextual data that has a level of inherent value. Data might be the binary 0s and 1s on a hard drive, but information is the combination of that binary data into a document, media file, or database. Therefore, information systems are methods of managing the value of different types of data. The value of the data might be in the personal records such as social security number, addresses, or shopping habits that are linked together to form an online shopping cart and on-click purchasing. The value of information provides for the potential for ethical, social, and political issues within an organization. An example of these ethical, social, and political issues can be found in the concept of privacy.
Using the module readings and the University online library resources, research the ethical, social, and political issues within an organization, and explain each of the issues.
Respond to the following:
- What ethical, social, and political issues arise with the use of information systems?
- Which of these identified issues can have the most adverse effect on an organization if not managed properly?
Give reasons and examples in support of your responses.
Write your initial response in approximately 300 words. Apply APA standards to citation of sources.
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Assignment 2 Grading Criteria
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Maximum Points
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Listed and explained the ethical, social, and political issues that arise with the use of information systems giving an example for each issue.
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12
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Explained with reasons the issue which you believe can have the most adverse effect on an organization if not managed properly.
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12
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Supported responses giving reasons and examples.
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4
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Actively contributed to the discussion by providing points of view with rationale, challenging points of the discussion, or drawing relationships between points of the discussion.
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4
|
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Wrote in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrated ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources; displayed accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
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8
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Total:
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40
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or Waypoint 
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