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Hacking Crime Victims to Remain Secret
outlier writes "The AP is reporting that federal law enforcement agencies are offering to keep the names of companies that have been victims of major cracking crimes secret. The goal is to encourage victims to come forward, so that the government can 'prosecute cases while at the same time achieving the kinds of protection and addressing the concern that the business community rightly has.'" My favorite part is how FBI agents will now "discretely" arrive at victims' offices.
Companies that get hacked are, of course, only interested in recovering and getting back to their core competency. Nobody hsa time for forensics or any other bullshit, unless they've got an export control box hacked or we're talking classified data, in which case legislation dictates that more measures are required.
RTFA
The accused will retian thier 'right to face their accusers'. Many of these types of cases are settled such that the criminal aggrees not to name his target.
The analogy in the article with a teller and a bank applies here. The idea is to encourage victims to step forward so law enforcement can catch the bad guys. The point here is that either way, as a stock holder you wouldn't know that security was comprimised(at least the company isn't going to publish the info), but if ACME Co. can have some assurances that their name won't be in the headlines the next day, they may be more willing to come forward.
Don't you mean spelled 'incorrectly'? ;)
at the cost of consumers of course.
>along with any sensitive corporate disclosures that could prove embarrassing.
Embarrassing? I'm sorry, but if my bank has an incompetent IT department, uses crappy software, has a poor security policy, etc then I should find about it in the paper alongside the police blotter which lists every drunk, domestic fight, and pot possession in the county.
The meat packing industry is the same way. They can recall tons of dangerous product without telling the press who the meat was sent out to. For instance it was all sent to McDonalds or Subway then those companies have the choice to tell you. Your safety, and life in some cases, is second to their PR.
Government is supposed to protect all interests without giving in to one side. Sadly, those with the resources get what they want and there isn't even a popular opposition party to call BS on laws like this.