Ethical Analysis of the Vulnerability Disclosure Debate

In this research paper, I examined the intricate ethical, legal, and technical aspects of vulnerability disclosure in cybersecurity. I evaluated real-world case studies, including Google’s 90-day policy and Microsoft’s Coordinated Vulnerability Disclosure (CVD) model, to understand how organizations can balance transparency, user safety, and national security.

The paper considers the perspectives of developers, users, and government agencies, applying utility and invasiveness frameworks to propose a hybrid disclosure model. This model emphasizes the importance of timely reporting to vendors and government bodies while ensuring that public disclosures align with the availability of patches. This approach aims to reduce risk and maintain public trust.