After reading the article ‘Hackers holding your PC to ransom’ I determined that the cyber criminals are violating multiple computer ethics issues. I’ll be discussing cracking and privacy.

Computer ethics is defined as a set of moral principles that regulate the use of computers (tech terms.com http://www.techterms.com/definition/computerethics).
Cracking or hacking is trespassing on someone’s personal computer without permission or breaking into a computer for criminal gain. The crackers in this article broke into unsuspecting victims computers and installed ransomeware. Ransomwere is a form of malware restricting access to your infected computer system. The virus demands a ransom paid to the creator of the malware for it be removed (Microsoft.com http://www.microsoft.com/security/resources/ransomware-whatis.aspx). When a cracker criminally accesses your computer and infects it with ransomware it locks and owners are no longer able to access their computer or any files that were on the computer. The virus installed could be anything from pornography or fake threats from law enforcement such as the FBI or IRS. If your computer is sieged, a warning will appear on the monitor in the form of a ransom letter coaxing you to pay a hefty ransom. Users are told they must pay a ransom of usually more than $400 to have their computer unlocked. Unfortunately anywhere from 2.9% - 20% of users actually pay this ransom. Once the ransom is paid the computer remains locked and users will need to have the computer professionally wiped clean. In this case the user is out of the money paid for the ransom, their computer files and the cost to have their computer wiped clean.
Privacy is defined as freedom from unwanted access to or intrusion into a person's private life or information; the internet and computerized databases have made invasion of privacy much easier and