This seems to be a new and interesting ethical issue (from Prophilosophy):
Philosophers weigh in for The Atlantic here. Fritz Alhoff (Western Michigan), Patrick Lin (Caly Poly – San Luis Obispo), and Neil Rowe (computer science, US Naval Postgraduate School) are the authors of a lengthy piece on the moral questions regarding cyber-weapons. The introduction:
“…the way we fight wars is changing, and so are the rules. This digital evolution means that it is now less clear what kind of events should reasonably trigger a war, as well as how and when new technologies may be used. With cyberweapons, a war theoretically could be waged without casualties or political risk, so their attractiveness is great — maybe so irresistible that nations are tempted to use them before such aggression is justified. This essay identifies some important ethical issues that have been upturned by these emerging digital weapons, which in turn help explain why national cyberdefense is such a difficult policy area.”
