Is hacking ever justified?<\/p>\n
That was the theme of a discussion I had in the car this past weekend on an extended road trip. <\/p>\n
The discussion was sparked, in part, from Howard Stern’s reaction to the publication of names from the Ashley Madison data breach. His view was that the information was stolen property and he objected to the way that people were gleefully trading in that information. <\/p>\n
Is it the nature of Ashley Madison’s business – promoting adulterous relationships – that makes people more voyeuristic and makes the hacking seem less criminal? What if it was the hacking of medical files for an abortion clinic? <\/p>\n
Are there ever circumstances that justify hacking? Should states be engaged in electronic warfare, surveillance, espionage? Under what circumstances could we justify hacking by private citizens? Under what circumstances would it be acceptable to have the state hack its citizens? Or hack another nation? Does it matter if the other nation is a democracy? <\/p>\n
Our car ride didn’t settle the issue – we were distracted by the scenery. <\/p>\n
What are your thoughts?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Is hacking ever justified? That was the theme of a discussion I had in the car this past weekend on an extended road trip. The discussion was sparked, in part, from Howard Stern’s reaction to the publication of names from the Ashley Madison data breach. His view was that the information was stolen property and …<\/p>\n