White-hat hacking is internet slang for a computer security professional who deals in the workings of penetration testing. In essence, a pen tester is hired to attempt to rupture their physical and theoretical securities for the purpose of finding defects before genuine thieves do. Penetration testing is a loaded gun of moral fine-lines. For example, if I were hired to do what Marty was hired for and I was working my way through an unknown system, the chances of me stumbling upon things of which are deemed “CLASSIFIED” are quite high. Now is when the conundrum occurs, do I act aloof and overlook the obvious misdoings or do I play the hero. Another fine-line is what happens when the data being read turns from monetary values to citizens’ privacy, and what if the person who finds it is not morally righteous, or should not obtain skeleton key like power? As displayed in the movie, the NSA would be one of these groups labeled with ‘should not obtain’.
“Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.” –Benjamin Franklin. Marty has to overcome the internal ethical struggle multiple times when it comes to giving up the black box to the NSA. The first time he complies without question and does it to save himself from going to prison. The second time it seems like he will repeat his decision, but he comes to the conclusion that the NSA should not hold the power to degrade the peoples freedoms to rubble. Edward Snowden is our modern day Marty. He disclosed confidential information that the NSA was in fact undermining the