Ethical dilemma: Should stolen info be published?
July 16, 2009 by Amy MullenPosted in: In this week's e-newsletter, Information security, Latest News & Views, Software, Web 2.0, Web sites, social networking
Should bloggers publish stolen confidential information?
That’s the question on many people’s minds as word gets around that a hacker broke into the Internet accounts of Twitter employees, including Twitter’s chief executive Evan Williams, and leaked sensitive information to two popular blogs.
The hacker, who calls himself “Hacker Croll,” stole information including financial projections, future business plans, the floor plans and access codes for Twitter’s offices, and personal information about Twitter employees, including credit card numbers.
He claims he accessed the employees’ Google Apps, Gmail, PayPal, Amazon, Apple, AT&T and MobileMe accounts back in May. On Wednesday, he leaked a large number of the documents to Techcrunch.com and the French blog Korben.
The dilemma is, should the confidential information be published, or do the bloggers have an ethical obligation to keep the stolen info private?
The blogger behind Korben has only released some relatively harmless information, because, he says, he’s a fan of Twitter and Williams. Techcrunch, on the other hand has already publish some of Twitter’s financial information, and is still sorting through the 310 documents it received and deciding what else it will publish.
And the real kicker: The hacker didn’t even circumvent any actual security measures. He just correctly answered the personal questions the Internet sites asked to change the users’ passwords.
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Tags: Add new tag, blogging, ethics, security, Web
July 21st, 2009 at 1:21 pm
The last paragraph mentioned that the hacker didn’t circumvent security. Well, duh, just because he guessed well doesn’t make his actions any less offensive.
I can see this “sharing” of confidential information as fallling into the gray zone for many people. For example, if it’s OK for a stranger to share something pretty innocuous (like your middle name), then it’s just a small step to telling your DOB. From there some may say it’s not much worse to share your mother’s maiden name, your phone number, your address…and on and on. Where does it stop being petty gossip and become unethical? When is that line crossed?
In my opinion, this is theft of confidential information and if Techcrunch publishes it, that’s as bad as selling goods that they know are stolen.
July 22nd, 2009 at 5:55 pm
I agree with Carol. Stolen property is stolen property. If you get caught with a stolen painting in your possession you go to jail for “receipt of stolen property.” The same punishment should apply to stolen information!
Hackers and their customers need to be punished quickly and severely.
November 25th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
While the break-in is unethical, and copying documents and forwarding them on is theft, the method he used sounds pretty trivial and could have been done by anybody who knows how to use Google. Using Google is not computer hacking! (or “cracking”, to use the more correct term). Gaining entrance over the Internet that just involves a web browser should not be prosecutable.
Comparing what he took to physical property is a stretch — I would compare it to if you attached a key to a car underneath it; somebody finds the key, opens the car, copies all your personal pictures and maybe a tax return from your laptop, and forwards that to the neighborhood. Not very nice of her — but why did you do leave something valuable in such an insecure place? What judge would prosecute? Or if that evil person just takes photos of some naughty pictures you left there? “Hacker Croll” didn’t trespass to gain entrance — he used a public portal without any special tools.
December 12th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
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December 15th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
How will the ‘Financial Reform’ Regulations effect families in debt?
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April 12th, 2010 at 11:40 pm
If Government would come after criminal hackers and do their job at protecting people and their intellectual property instead of trying to run businesses into the ground and competing with the private sector we would be a lot better off! It aggravates me how politicians only make laws that get them extra money in their coffers. Look at all the Ponzi schemes out there! With all the Government intrusion in our lives they can catch any billion dollar scams but they can make laws to run other companies out of business.
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May 12th, 2010 at 4:08 am
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May 21st, 2010 at 9:02 am
You know that there are some website out there that let you view private facebook profiles.
May 21st, 2010 at 9:08 am
You know that there are some website out there that let you view private facebook profiles.
July 18th, 2010 at 4:57 am
Wonderful the EU shows strength and durability once more:-)