FBI's Capture and Prosecution of Mitnick

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Highlight the main ethical issues that this case brings to light and critically apply :

 Consequence based

 Duty based

 Character based

Ethical theories to discuss whether the FBI were correct in attempting to capture and prosecute Mitnick.

Introduction to ethics

“Ethics”, in general, is nothing but a principle of conduct. Ethics can also be defined as moral philosophy which is used to answer questions related to morality. The word ‘Ethics’ has been derived from the Greek word ‘Ethos’ which simply meant “the state of being” or “to keep ones soul pure”. The sub divisions of ethics are as follows;

1. Meta-ethics – Study of meta-ethics deals with the understanding of the working of ethical properties and judgements.

2. Formative ethics – This branch of ethics deals with the study of moral values.

3. Applied ethics – Applied ethics essentially deals in determining the moral outcomes in a specified situation.

4. Descriptive ethics – This branch of ethics mainly deals in determining what moral values people actually follow or abide by.

Understanding of ethics and the consequences of not following the principles laid out by the code of ethics can be very hazardous to a person or to a community as a whole.

Ethics of Technology

Ethics of technology is one important aspect of ethics and is required to answer all the ethical questions which are specific to the technological age. Ethics of technology can also be defined as “Cyber-ethics”. The main reason for the existence of cyber-ethics is to examine the impact that cyber related crimes has for our social, legal and moral systems. Cyber ethics can also help us in calculating the social policies and laws that we frame with respect to issues...

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...ivacy as ethical. When Kevin Mitnick tried hacking into computers he ignored all the rules and regulations that one normally adheres to within society therefore his actions were deceitful and inappropriate.

Also the fact that Kevin Mitnick hacked into computer systems, but never did anything for personal gain, is not sufficient to say that he is innocent. Every time that he was apprehended by the FBI, he pleaded guilty and was prosecuted accordingly, but this did not prevent him from committing the crime over and over again.

When we speak in accordance with duty based ethical theories or Deontological ethics, the arrest of Mitnick by the FBI is morally acceptable since he broke the rules by gaining entry to another’s privacy without prior consent. Mitnicks actions were not only against the law but they were against the moral ethics as stated by Immanuel Kant.

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