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100+ Free DSST Ethics in Technology Practice Questions

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An attacker compromises a software update mechanism so thousands of customers install a trusted vendor's malicious update. Which risk is illustrated?

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Key Facts: DSST Ethics in Technology Exam

100

official exam questions

GetCollegeCredit DSST Ethics in Technology Fact Sheet

2 hours

official time limit

GetCollegeCredit DSST Ethics in Technology Fact Sheet

400

minimum recommended score

GetCollegeCredit exam page and fact sheet

3

upper-level baccalaureate semester hours

GetCollegeCredit DSST Ethics in Technology Fact Sheet

$100

DSST test fee before site administrative fees

GetCollegeCredit DSST Questions and Answers

90%

FY24 DANTES military pass rate

DANTES FY24 DSST Exams by Military Pass Rates

DSST Ethics in Technology is a 100-question, two-hour multiple-choice exam with an ACE-recommended minimum score of 400 for 3 upper-level baccalaureate semester hours. The official fact sheet weights cyberspace and privacy, domestic and international security, and legal issues at 21% each, professional ethics at 20%, and technological innovation and ethics at 17%.

Sample DSST Ethics in Technology Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your DSST Ethics in Technology exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1A fitness app asks for access to a user's full contact list even though its only advertised feature is step counting. Which privacy principle is most directly violated?
A.Data minimization
B.Net neutrality
C.Open-source licensing
D.Digital watermarking
Explanation: Data minimization means collecting only the personal information needed for a specific purpose. A step-counting feature does not need a contact list, so the request creates avoidable privacy risk. Ethical design should match data collection to a clear user benefit.
2A retailer combines browsing history, purchase records, and location data to infer that a customer is likely pregnant, then sends targeted ads before the customer has told family members. What is the central ethical concern?
A.The ads may be unpopular because they use too few data points
B.Inference can reveal sensitive information even when no single data item was explicitly disclosed
C.Targeted advertising is ethical only when done by government agencies
D.The retailer cannot use any customer data for business purposes
Explanation: Privacy risk often comes from aggregation and inference, not only from obvious sensitive fields. Combining routine data can expose intimate facts that the person did not knowingly choose to share. Ethical profiling requires attention to consent, context, sensitivity, and potential harm.
3Which design choice best supports meaningful privacy notice?
A.Hide all data practices in a long legal document only after account creation
B.Explain key data uses in clear language before collection and link to the full policy
C.Ask users to consent after data has already been sold
D.Use vague phrases such as 'we may use data for improvements' without examples
Explanation: Meaningful notice gives users understandable information at the time it matters. A concise explanation before collection, backed by a complete policy, helps people make informed choices. Notice is weaker when it is hidden, late, vague, or impossible to act on.
4A student posts a comment in a closed course discussion board, and a classmate screenshots it for a public social media post. Which privacy concept best explains why this can still be wrong even though the first post was online?
A.Context matters because information shared with one audience may not be intended for every audience
B.Anything posted online is ethically free for unlimited redistribution
C.The screenshot becomes public domain automatically
D.Closed groups have no privacy expectations because they use the internet
Explanation: Privacy expectations depend on context, audience, and purpose. Sharing within a course forum is different from broadcasting to a public audience. Ethical online conduct respects contextual boundaries even when copying is technically easy.
5Publishing someone's home address, phone number, and workplace online to encourage harassment is best described as what?
A.Doxxing
B.Caching
C.Version control
D.Load balancing
Explanation: Doxxing is the disclosure of private or identifying information about a person, often with hostile intent. It can expose the target to stalking, threats, identity theft, or physical danger. Ethical online conduct avoids amplifying personal data to invite harm.
6A messaging platform changes its default setting so every user's profile becomes searchable by email address unless the user finds and disables the setting. Which ethical issue is most direct?
A.A privacy choice was made through default exposure rather than affirmative user control
B.The company improved encryption too quickly
C.The platform stopped all personal data collection
D.Email addresses are never personal information
Explanation: Defaults strongly shape user behavior because many people never change settings. Making users searchable by default can expose them to unwanted contact or identification. Privacy-respecting design often uses protective defaults and clear opt-in choices for expanded visibility.
7A city releases an 'anonymous' transit dataset, but each record includes exact timestamps, station entries, and exits. Researchers can match some trips to known work schedules. What lesson does this illustrate?
A.Removing names always makes a dataset risk-free
B.Detailed datasets can sometimes be re-identified through linkage with outside information
C.Public agencies should never release statistics
D.Timestamps protect privacy better than aggregation
Explanation: De-identification can fail when records contain unique patterns that can be linked to other information. Exact times and routes may reveal where a person lives, works, worships, or receives care. Safer release may require aggregation, noise, suppression, access controls, or a decision not to publish.
8A government agency wants to monitor all citizens' private messages to detect crime. Which safeguard most directly addresses the privacy and civil-liberties concern?
A.Independent legal oversight, defined limits, and minimization of collected information
B.Allowing monitoring only when the software is inexpensive
C.Publishing every intercepted message for transparency
D.Removing all records of surveillance decisions
Explanation: Surveillance powers raise risks of abuse, chilling effects, and disproportionate intrusion. Oversight, legal standards, purpose limits, minimization, and accountability help align surveillance with rights and public safety. Cost alone does not answer the ethical question.
9A social network collected phone numbers for account security, then used those numbers to improve ad targeting without making that use clear. Which issue is most central?
A.Secondary use beyond the purpose users reasonably understood
B.Improper use of binary numbering
C.A failure to compress images efficiently
D.An unavoidable requirement of two-factor authentication
Explanation: Data collected for one purpose can create ethical problems when reused for another incompatible purpose. Users may provide a phone number for security because they trust that context. Purpose limitation and transparency help prevent this kind of surprise secondary use.
10After discovering that customer passwords were exposed, which response is most ethically responsible?
A.Investigate, contain the breach, reset affected credentials, and notify users as required
B.Keep the breach secret so customers do not worry
C.Delete logs before anyone asks questions
D.Blame customers before confirming what happened
Explanation: An ethical breach response focuses on stopping harm, preserving evidence, fixing the weakness, and giving affected people useful information. Password exposure can let attackers reuse credentials elsewhere, so reset and notification steps matter. Hiding the event or destroying logs increases harm and reduces accountability.

About the DSST Ethics in Technology Exam

Ethics in Technology is a DSST upper-level baccalaureate credit-by-exam covering cyberspace privacy, domestic and international security, legal issues in cyberspace, emerging technology ethics, and professional ethics.

Assessment

100 multiple-choice questions covering five official content areas.

Time Limit

2 hours

Passing Score

400 minimum recommended score

Exam Fee

$100 DSST test fee; testing-site administrative fees may vary (Prometric DSST; DANTES funding is available for eligible military test takers)

DSST Ethics in Technology Exam Content Outline

21%

Cyberspace and Privacy

Privacy and security in cyberspace, individual conduct, online communities and social networking, government surveillance, and corporate use of personal data.

21%

Domestic and International Security

Critical infrastructure, national security, hacking, cyberterrorism, cyberwarfare, counter-hacking, international regulation, and cross-border data issues.

21%

Legal Issues in Cyberspace

Privacy legislation, self-regulation, intellectual property, cybercrimes, jurisdiction, legal process, and lawful access to data and communications.

17%

Technological Innovation and Ethics

Ethical issues in bioengineering, biotechnology, genetics, the Internet of Things, robotics, autonomous vehicles, and artificial intelligence.

20%

Professional Ethics

Professional moral responsibility, corporate moral responsibility, ethics in journalism and social media, platform decisions, and net neutrality.

How to Pass the DSST Ethics in Technology Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 400 minimum recommended score
  • Assessment: 100 multiple-choice questions covering five official content areas.
  • Time limit: 2 hours
  • Exam fee: $100 DSST test fee; testing-site administrative fees may vary

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

DSST Ethics in Technology Study Tips from Top Performers

1Use the official DSST fact sheet as the checklist and divide study time by the published weights.
2Practice scenario questions that ask you to balance privacy, security, autonomy, fairness, accountability, and public safety.
3Know common legal and policy vocabulary, including privacy legislation, self-regulation, intellectual property, cybercrime, lawful access, and jurisdiction.
4Review emerging-technology ethics for AI, robotics, autonomous vehicles, IoT, biotechnology, genetics, and accessibility.
5Connect professional ethics to real roles: engineers, security researchers, journalists, platform operators, corporations, and internet service providers.
6Do timed practice sets so you are comfortable answering 100 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is DSST Ethics in Technology a current public DSST exam?

Yes. GetCollegeCredit lists Ethics in Technology as a DSST exam in the Technology category, and Prometric's DSST page directs test takers to current DSST exam titles and fact sheets.

How many questions are on DSST Ethics in Technology?

The official DSST fact sheet states that Ethics in Technology contains 100 questions to be answered in 2 hours.

What score is recommended for credit?

The GetCollegeCredit exam page and official fact sheet list a minimum recommended score of 400. Colleges decide their own credit-award policies, so confirm requirements with your institution.

How much does DSST Ethics in Technology cost?

The DSST Questions and Answers page lists a $100 test fee per exam and notes that testing sites may charge separate administrative fees. Eligible DANTES-funded military first attempts may be funded.

What topics are covered?

The official fact sheet lists five weighted areas: Cyberspace and Privacy; Domestic and International Security; Legal Issues in Cyberspace; Technological Innovation and Ethics; and Professional Ethics.

Can this DSST exam be taken online?

Prometric's DSST page lists online ProProctor and test-center scheduling options for DSST exams, with Principles of Public Speaking noted as the online-delivery exception. Confirm availability during scheduling.