Ethical Dilemma Project

Ali is required to research server security for his IT Security course. He wants to identify
vulnerabilities or weak areas of real company servers. He then develops a program that
attacks company networks to find weak areas in their security. When he attacks the network
and breaks through the company’s security, he can access private company information. He
does not change or save any information he discovers in any way. He documents how he
breaks through the company’s security and how companies could avoid similar break-ins in
his class project. When one of the companies that Ali has “attacked” searches the source of
the attack, they find university computer lab as a source of this attack and informs the
university.

1. Define ethical (include link to source of definition). Describe the ethical dilemma
(issue) in this scenario. relating to moral principles or the branch of knowledge dealing
with these. I think the ethical dilemma here is that ali has the ability to access all of the
information of a company, that could be bad if a bad person has the power to do that

2. Who are the stakeholders in this scenario (who is affected or impacted by the scenario)?
The companies are affected because if something goes wrong all of their information
might get leaked

3. Were Ali’s actions ethical or unethical? Why or why not? Defend your choice with a full
explanation. I think Ali's actions are unethical because he could have made his own
security and tried to break into it instead he broke into a company's security that may
leave it vulnerable for other attacks .

4. Who should be held responsible for breaking into the company’s server: Ali, the
university, or both? What changes should this person (or people) make moving forward?
In my opinion Ali is responsible for this because the university never stated to be that
extreme with the experiment.

5. How could Ali determine weaknesses in company servers without getting in trouble? He
could've created or replicated a security network to try it on there.

6. How could the university protect students and itself regarding this type of project? They
should have to give more instructions like what you can and cannot do.

7. In conclusion, provide an overview of how this ethical dilemma could have been avoided.
The conclusion is that the school should give more instructions for safety, and Ali should
have put more thought into thinking that it was a good idea to break the security systems
of companies.

Step 3: Compile your answers in a 1 paragraph constructed response. Use proper sentence
structure, professional language, and correct grammar/spelling in the paragraph. Use the rubric
below to rate your final work.
Ali did something unethical that he needs to take responsibility for breaking in the security
systems of companies. The university should give more instructions to do and what not to do. Ali
could have avoided it by replicating or creating security systems and trying his program there.
The companies could be affected by it , Because information may be leaked or it may leave the
security programs vulnerable.