I have 3 google voice invites, anyone interested?

I'm in my final semester of my undergrad at good ol' EMU and I have to analyze and state an ethical philosophy in regards to cyber security. Essentially this is what I'm going to put into my syllabus and how I'm going to handle ethical questions when I get handed the reigns next semester for the Ethical Hacking classes.

This semester I'm the TA for a class called Ethical Hacking, there hasn't been much discussion about ethics mainly because it is a difficult topic to intertwine into a technology based course structure on top of everything else we've been doing. I've been concerned about some of the students using the skills we teach in an unethical manner and I've done my best to sit down and focus on those students during the time I have with them in the classroom. In some cases I have succeed by explaining to them that they don't always know what they are attacking, and must be very careful in case that server is virtual and they bring down the entire box, not knowing what they just took down. Of course there are going to be those that just don't get it and launch hydra against an ftp server and pound it just for the thrill of it. But I have full faith that this is a very small fraction of the population and won't affect the integrity of the class.

I would like to give a basis of theory for those who haven't come to a firm standing as of yet one way or the other, and reinforce those who already do have an ethical structure in regards to cyber security. While I understand this is going to have a lot to do with ones own personal theory and philosophy on life, a supplement may be able to at least give a guideline to work with.

Personally I've grown up with things like 2600, Hackers the movie, the Anarchists Cookbook, and The Hacker's Manifesto.  Back when hacking was cool, not a weapon, and the philosophy of information is that it should be free no matter what. After reading books like Hacker Cracker by Ejovi Nuwere and being in a place where freedom of information can have a very negative impact to the safety, health, and livelihood of others and their families my viewpoint has become more conservative. And just through understanding the concept of a malicious attacker that uses someone elses box as a proxy to launch an attack from, I can see how counterattacking to that proxy would have serious negative impacts on that innocent victim.

The other side of this is that I am putting together a proposal for a class in Cyber Ethics. Surprisingly in a degree that requires a background check, and signing a 'do no harm' document to enter into, no one is required to examine ethical philosophy prior to graduation. I would like to see this changed for the sheer fact that one becomes more capable of defending their ethical judgments when they are asked to examine their ethical beliefs in a critical manner. 

What I am looking for is your own personal viewpoints on ethics in cyber security/cyber space and other readings on that topic matter that you personally feel are good. So if you are willing to share, I look forward to reading your replies.

A lovely bunch of coconuts.
Here there are all standing in a row.
I'mmmm baaacck!

http://www.napster.com. From the people who created DMCA and pushed for the Patriot act, they bring you the new and improved Napster! They have taken a pure and good program and turned it into evil. It's like they corrupted innocence and they are parading the first one to be, as the first one to turn. They are evil and this is war. They have brainwashed one of our earliest recruits and are using his knowladge agianst us. I have trouble finding the words to describe what I see, it feel like they took the atom and turned it into a bomb all over again. :growls:          

Is HN down, or is it just me?