WGU WGU Ethics In Technology QCO1 Ethics-In-Technology Exam Dumps: Updated Questions & Answers (October 2025)

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protects the privacy of patient health records and restricts unauthorized access to Protected Health Information (PHI).

Why HIPAA applies to this case:

The nurse accessed the patient’s medical records without authorization, violating the HIPAA Privacy Rule.

HIPAA mandates that only authorized healthcare professionals involved in patient care can access medical records.

Unauthorized access is considered a HIPAA violation, which can result in penalties and disciplinary action.

A. Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) – Protects electronic communications from government surveillance but does not apply to medical records.

C. Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) – Regulates financial data privacy, not medical information.

D. Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) – Protects children’s data on websites and apps but does not cover hospital records.

Why Not the Other Options?Thus, the correct answer is B. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) as it enforces strict privacy rules for patient medical records.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) (1996), 45 CFR Parts 160 and 164.

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) HIPAA Guidelines.

Solove, D. J. (2019). Understanding Privacy.

References in Ethics in Technology:

The consultant was hired by the organization to test its cybersecurity and identify vulnerabilities. This is the role of a white hat hacker, also known as an ethical hacker.

Why White Hat Hacker?

White hat hackers conduct security assessments legally and ethically to help organizations strengthen their cyber defenses.

The consultant demonstrated SQL injection attacks in a controlled manner to expose weaknesses without malicious intent.

Ethical hacking is a recognized practice under cybersecurity frameworks like NIST and ISO 27001.

A. Cybercriminal – Engages in illegal hacking for personal or financial gain, whereas the consultant was hired to help the organization.

C. Cyberterrorist – Motivated by political or ideological goals, not cybersecurity testing.

D. Black Hat Hacker – Malicious hackers who exploit vulnerabilities for personal benefit, unlike ethical hackers.

Why Not the Other Options?Thus, the correct answer is B. White Hat Hacker, as the consultant was conducting authorized penetration testing.

CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) Guidelines.

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework.

OWASP Top Ten Security Risks (2023).

References in Ethics in Technology:

The data scientist's approach raises two key ethical concerns:

Proxy Discrimination (C) – Using demographic data from limited zip codes may create biased AI models that discriminate against certain racial, economic, or social groups. Zip codes often reflect historical segregation, leading to unfair predictions.

Small Sample Size (D) – Training an AI model on a limited set of familiar zip codes introduces selection bias, reducing the model's ability to generalize across diverse populations. This affects fairness and accuracy.

Algorithmic Fairness & Bias (FAT/ML Guidelines) – AI models must avoid using biased proxies and ensure diverse training data.

Privacy & Ethical AI (GDPR, CCPA) – AI decisions must not indirectly discriminate based on location, race, or socioeconomic status.

Utilitarian Ethics (Maximizing Fairness & Inclusivity) – AI should benefit all groups equally, not just selected demographics.

IEEE & ACM AI Ethics Standards – Encourage transparent, unbiased data selection to prevent discrimination.

Relevant Ethical References in Technology:Thus, the correct answers are C. Proxy discrimination and D. Small sample size, as both contribute to bias in AI models.

Industrial espionage refers to the unauthorized theft or copying of trade secrets, proprietary information, or intellectual property from one company to another, often to gain a competitive advantage.

Why is this Industrial Espionage?

The sibling stole proprietary source code from Employee A’s laptop.

This act provides unfair competitive advantage to the sibling’s company.

Unauthorized access to trade secrets violates legal and ethical standards (e.g., Economic Espionage Act).

A. Nepotism – Favoring family members in hiring or promotions, but this case involves theft.

B. Conflict of Interest – Would apply if Employee A voluntarily shared information, but here, it was stolen.

D. Corruption – Involves bribery or unethical business practices but does not specifically relate to corporate theft.

Why Not the Other Options?Thus, the correct answer is C. Industrial Espionage, as it involves theft of confidential trade secrets.

Economic Espionage Act (1996), 18 U.S.C. §§ 1831-1839.

OECD Guidelines on Corporate Ethics and Intellectual Property Protection.

References in Ethics in Technology:

Virtue ethics focuses on the moral character of individuals rather than just the consequences or rules governing their actions. In this scenario, a game designer is concerned about how their participation in the game development process will reflect upon their moral character, which is a hallmark of virtue ethics.

Virtue ethics, as developed by Aristotle, emphasizes traits like honesty, integrity, and compassion. The designer is questioning whether contributing to a game that rewards violent or unlawful acts aligns with virtues such as responsibility and ethical integrity. This aligns with virtue ethics' central question: What kind of person should I be? rather than What rules should I follow? or What consequences will my actions have?

Virtue Ethics (Aristotle's Ethics) – This ethical theory asks whether designing a game that rewards violent behavior aligns with good moral character.

Ethics of Representation in Media and Gaming – Studies have shown that media can influence real-world behaviors, raising ethical concerns about glorifying violence.

Industry Standards (ESRB, PEGI) – While rating systems classify content, ethical concerns go beyond ratings to the moral responsibility of developers in shaping digital culture.

Moral Identity in Design – Developers must consider whether creating certain game mechanics aligns with their personal and professional ethical identity.

Relevant Ethical References in Technology:Thus, the designer's concerns reflect virtue ethics by focusing on their personal integrity and professional responsibility in game development.

The factory manager is applying consequentialism, an ethical theory that evaluates actions based on their outcomes or consequences.

Why Consequentialism?

The manager is weighing all possible outcomes and choosing the action that produces the greatest good—a fundamental characteristic of consequentialist ethics.

This aligns with utilitarianism, a form of consequentialism, which suggests that an action is ethical if it maximizes overall benefits (e.g., higher profits, safety, lower costs).

Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill developed utilitarianism, emphasizing that ethical decisions should be based on maximizing happiness or well-being.

A. Deontology: Focuses on moral duties and rules rather than consequences. A deontologist might argue that replacing workers with robots is wrong if it violates workers' rights, regardless of the positive outcomes.

B. Relativism: Suggests that morality is subjective and varies by culture. The factory manager's decision is based on objective outcomes, not cultural or subjective ethical norms.

C. Virtue Ethics: Focuses on the moral character of the decision-maker rather than the outcomes of actions. The manager is making a cost-benefit analysis, not prioritizing virtues like fairness or compassion.

Why Not the Other Theories?Thus, the correct ethical framework that describes the factory manager’s decision is D. Consequentialism because it is based on maximizing benefits while accepting potential negative consequences.

Mill, J. S. (1863). Utilitarianism. London: Parker, Son, and Bourn.

Bentham, J. (1789). An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Brey, P. (2000). "Disclosive Computer Ethics." ACM SIGCAS Computers and Society, 30(4), 10-16.

IEEE Global Initiative on Ethics of Autonomous and Intelligent Systems (2019).

References in Ethics in Technology:

A zero-day exploit is a cyberattack that takes advantage of an unknown vulnerability in software, firmware, or hardware before a patch is available.

Key characteristics of a zero-day exploit:

The system was up-to-date on all patches and updates, meaning no known vulnerabilities should have been present.

The antivirus did not detect any malicious code, which suggests that the attack exploited an unknown flaw.

The worker did not engage in any behavior that introduced malware, ruling out traditional malware delivery methods.

Since zero-day exploits target vulnerabilities that have not yet been discovered or fixed, the attack likely bypassed existing security defenses.

A. Blended Threat: A combination of multiple attack methods (e.g., worms, Trojans, and phishing), but the scenario suggests a single point of failure.

B. Trojan Horse: Requires the worker to unknowingly install malicious software, which was not the case here.

C. Spear Phishing: Involves a targeted deceptive email, but there is no indication that the worker clicked on a fraudulent link or downloaded a malicious file.

Why Not the Other Options?Thus, the correct answer is D. Zero-day exploit as it best explains the system compromise despite all security measures being up to date.

Schneier, B. (2015). Data and Goliath: The Hidden Battles to Collect Your Data and Control Your World.

Mitre ATT&CK Framework - Zero-day Exploits.

OWASP Top Ten Security Risks (2023).

References in Ethics in Technology:

Consumer profiling is the practice of collecting and analyzing consumer data—including demographic, geographic, and behavioral attributes—to optimize sales strategies, enhance marketing efforts, and personalize customer experiences.

In this scenario, the organization gathers various types of customer data to improve its sales processes, which is a clear example of consumer profiling rather than surveillance or workplace monitoring.

Privacy and Data Ethics (GDPR, CCPA) – Consumer profiling raises ethical concerns about informed consent, transparency, and data protection.

Big Data Ethics (Tene & Polonetsky, 2012) – Ethical consumer profiling must ensure fair use, avoidance of bias, and non-discriminatory practices.

Utilitarian vs. Deontological Perspectives – While profiling improves customer experiences, it must not violate privacy rights or enable unethical targeting.

ACM Code of Ethics – Encourages responsible collection, use, and protection of consumer data.

Relevant Ethical References in Technology:Thus, since the company is gathering consumer data to optimize sales, the correct answer is D. Consumer profiling.

The OECD Privacy Guidelines establish principles for protecting personal data, and Individual Participation is the principle that grants individuals the right to:

Access their personal data

Challenge incorrect data

Request corrections to inaccurate information

This ensures transparency and gives individuals control over their own information.

B. Purpose Specification – Requires data collection to have a clear, specific purpose, but does not grant individuals the right to review their data.

C. Use Limitation – Limits how collected data can be used but does not focus on individual rights.

D. Security Safeguard – Ensures data protection measures but does not relate to individuals reviewing their data.

Why Not the Other Options?Thus, the correct answer is A. Individual participation, as it upholds the right to access and correct personal information.

OECD Guidelines on the Protection of Privacy and Transborder Flows of Personal Data (1980, updated 2013).

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (2018), Articles 15-16.

Solove, D. J. (2020). Understanding Privacy. Harvard University Press.

References in Ethics in Technology:

The fair use doctrine allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission from the copyright owner under specific conditions.

Why Fair Use Applies in This Case?

The search engine indexes and displays short excerpts from copyrighted websites.

Courts have ruled that search engine indexing and snippet display is transformative and falls under fair use (Authors Guild v. Google, 2015).

The purpose is informational and beneficial to the public, which aligns with fair use principles.

A. Safe Harbor – Protects online platforms from liability for user-uploaded content (not applicable to search indexing).

B. First Sale – Allows reselling legally purchased copyrighted material but does not apply to digital reproduction.

C. Derivative Work – Involves modifying copyrighted content into a new form (e.g., movie adaptation of a book), which is not the case here.

Why Not the Other Options?Thus, the correct answer is D. Fair use, as it permits limited reproduction for indexing and search purposes.

Authors Guild v. Google, Inc., 804 F.3d 202 (2d Cir. 2015).

U.S. Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. § 107 (Fair Use).

Lessig, L. (2004). Free Culture: How Big Media Uses Technology and the Law to Lock Down Culture and Control Creativity.

References in Ethics in Technology: