Writer’s choice

Software systems have evolved into a wide variety of forms. Single PC programs are still common, but you probably have experience with systems that exist “in the cloud” under the auspices of Facebook, that run your home router for wireless, or that manage your mobile phone. Most of thesystems have adjustable settings that come in a default mode, often times not the most secure mode. A very practical skill set for you to take away from our course is to

Recognize when a software system is more or less secure
Be able to change the settings between secure and insecure when there is a choice
Reason about the advantages and disadvantages of each mode
Many tradeoffs between security, privacy, and convenience are at play as software systems store vital but sensitive information. In this assignment, we will examine these tradeoffs. By the end of it you will be able to exercise more control or use a new tool to increase your security or privacy and explain why doing so is or is not a good idea.

Below is a list of some trade-offs relating to computer systems which you probably use.

Tradeoff Secure / Private Insecure / Public
Login to personal computer Password required Automatic, no password
Hard Drive Encrypted Unencrypted
Data Backup You back up your hard drive regularly on another drive or web service You do not regularly back up your data
Web Site Logins Manual, log in each time Automatic, browser remembers passwords
Sending E-mail You send E-mail encrypted or have a public key associated to verify you as the sender No encryption or public key identification used
Home Wireless Access Your wireless router requires a password for access Your wireless router is open and requires no log in
Firewall A firewall to prevents unauthorized connections to your computer No firewall set up
Anti-virus Anti-virus software running None set up
Mobile Phone Access Your phone requires a password for use No password requried
Web form information (address, credit card) Re-type information every time Info is saved by browser, automatically filled in
Mobile Phone Location Your phone does not reveal your location to your service provider Your location is revealed for use by applications
Online Financial information You re-type credit card and bank account information for each transaction An online company such as Amazon or Mint saves credit card and bank accounts
Social Networking (Facebook/Google+) You restrict access to your personal information and photos Your information and photos are visible to all or most users

In this assignment, you will write a report with three parts.
A. Individual Decisions 1: What to Change and How to Change It
(11 points total) Pick a security/privacy tradeoff. You can choose from the list, or come up with your own. Describe the following.

(4 points) Describe the trade-off of convenience versus security/privacy.

What are at least two advantages of running the software in the insecure/public mode?
What are at least two risks associated with using the insecure/public mode?
(4 points) Research how to change the settings between secure/private and insecure/public. Give a detailed set of instructions on how to change settings to the secure mode. These instruction should pass the “parent” test: if your mother or father had the same computer as you were working on, she or he should be able to follow the instructions to change the settings. Make sure to include references to any sources you used such as online tutorials or built-in help manuals. Put these instructions into your own words; do not copy and paste them. If you figured out how to change the settings without using outside sources, say so and comment on how difficult the process was.
(3 points) Now that you have learned how to change between the secure and insecure modes, describe what mode your software or system was in initially and what mode you decided to leave it in, and explain why you made that choice.
B. Individual Decisions 2: What to Change and How to Change It
(11 points total) Pick a second security/privacy tradeoff. Repeat your analysis from Part A on this second tradeoff.

(4 points) Describe the trade-off of convenience versus security/privacy.

What are at least two advantages of running the software in the insecure/public mode?
What are at least two risks associated with using the insecure/public mode?

(4 points) Research how to change the settings between secure/private and insecure/public. Give a detailed set of instructions on how to change settings to the secure mode that adheres to the guidelines in Part A.2.
(3 points) Now that you have learned how to change between the secure and insecure modes, describe what mode your software or system was in initially and what mode you decided to leave it in, and explain why you made that choice.

C. Company Decisions: Should they be changed?
The companies that produced the software or systems that you studied made decisions as to which mode, secure or insecure, would be the default for their product. Their decisions balanced the company’s desire to make their product profitable, usable by many people, and safe for their customers. Weighing those goals is not easy.

As an example from a different industry, suppose an automobile manufacturer discovered a design flaw in one of their cars. An analysis by the company puts the cost of recalling the cars at about $11 per car times 12.5 million cars, for a total cost to society of $137 million. Without the recall, the company estimates 180 people will experience fire deaths after collisions. Valuing their lives at $200,000 the total cost to society is $36 million. According to the basic Utilitarian premise, the company should not issue a recall as the happiness in dollars is higher without it. This decision making process mirrors what occurred with the Ford Pinto and is also mentioned in the book and film Fight Club.

The tradeoffs you analyzed in Part A may not involve valuation of human life directly, but they do force the difficult comparative valuation of privacy, security, and convenience. Balancing the annoyance of repeated logins and forgotten passwords against the disasters of lost productivity and data is at the heart of the trade-offs in Parts A and B.

(6 points) Discuss software tradeoffs of security and privacy as an ethical question. Choose one of the tradeoffs you discussed in either Part A or B, and one of the ethical theories we are studying in class (Kantianism, Act Utilitarianism, Rule Utilitarianism, or Social Contract Theory). Describe the choice made by the manufacturer of the system involved, and consider whether it is ethical in accordance with the theory you chose. Analyze and give a final verdict.