A Cybersecurity Ethics Case Study

Irina Raicu

A recent article in Wired magazine details the anticipated re-release of a tool called PunkSpider. While constantly scanning the web, PunkSpider automatically identifies hackable vulnerabilities in websites, and then allows anyone to search those resultsby URL keywords, or type or severity of vulnerability.

PunkSpider collects a catalog of unpatched vulnerabilities and makes them public. Its developers hope that the tool will force website administrators to fix those vulnerabilities. However, malevolent actors might exploit the disclosed vulnerabilities first. The tools creators are aware of this risk. One of the creators, Alejandro Carceres, pointed out to Wired that scanners that find web vulnerabilities have always existed. This one just makes the results public. He added, You know your customers can see the publicly disclosed vulnerability, your investors can see it, so youre going to fix thatfast.

According to Wired, an earlier version of PunkSpider had been repeatedly kicked off Amazon Web Services in response to abuse reports from angry Web administrators. In its new incarnation, the tool now includes a feature that allows web administrators to spot PunkSpider's probing based on the user agent that helps identify visitors to a website, and an opt-out feature that lets websites remove themselves from the tool's searches.

When asked about the ethics of creating and deploying PunkSpider, cybersecurity expert Katie Moussouris argued that vulnerabilities themselves are what would lead to the hacking of websites; she added, A tool like this just makes those vulnerabilities visible.

After years of warnings about vulnerabilities that continue to be ignored, Alejandro Carceres says, we need to try something new.

On the basis of this scenario answer the following questions.

Q.3. Establishing a business online it needs to ensure fluidity throughout the entire e_Commerce chain. For the tools like PunkSpider, Breakdown the potential benefits of E_Commerce. (2 pts each = 10 pts)

Q.4. There is four main types of market places which is helpful to PunkSpider tool to not face abuse reports from angry Web administrators.

Interpret the figure below: ( 10 pts)