Killing Others' Malicious Processes

Roland Piquepaille writes "This opinion is not mine, but the one of Tim Mullen, from SecurityFocus Online. In this story, he expresses some strong ideas regarding systems infected by worms. "I believe you should have the right to neutralize a worm process running on someone else's infected system, if it's relentlessly attacking your network. I've even written code to demonstrate the process. Though the initial news coverage of the concept was grossly inaccurate in conveying my ideas, it has stirred up a constructive dialog. I knew my idea was controversial, but I was wrong about something -- I figured everyone in the security biz would "get it" and that the hard part would be convincing everyone else that if they can't or won't secure their machines, we as the defenders would have the right to terminate the process attacking us. It has turned out to be the opposite." The author then looks at the criticisms about this strikeback idea raised by some security experts -- to dismiss them of course. Check this column for a summary or read the original story for more details."

Comments

Well, what do you know. . !

[Fantastic Lad]

Goodness! I do declare that I am actually proud of my fellow Slashdotters this morning!

With overwhelming opinion stacked against a *B*A*D* idea, (in this case, the use of gratuitous, crotch-hardening force to solve a problem which has been proven in the past to be fixable through any number of other effective options), is refreshing to say the least!

I don't even have to use the analogy I was brewing up while reading the headline, (but will offer here anyway just as a point of interest and cuz I don't like to let even a half-assed brain-wave to go to waste.).

Quoth he: "We should go an' git them suckers afore they come an' git us again!"

Quoth me: "Yeah, them suckers in Iraq is dangerous! --Even though they ain't really done nuthin' to us yit. A'corse the presidint sez theyz fixin' to! An' if we change the law tah make it leegil to start blastin' away without due and open process, (or any rationality whatsoever), then all's I gots tah say is, Yeeh haw! With a ticket like that, it's open season on everybody so long as we can claim de-fence 'gainst a foriegn threat, (which of course we wouldn't even have to prove seeing as how properly demonstrating that a threat exists would make the situation easy to solve through a non-violent and publicly acceptable means!) I bin fixin' fer this ever since that day I got a hard-on when we waz blowin' up frogs with fire-crackers!"

Quoth he: "No, ya inbred hick! I ain't talkin' 'bout Iraq. I'm talkin 'bout them worm-wranglers on the nixt com-pewter over! Ainchoo listnin to a dang thing? Now gitcher dang 12 gauge an rev up the 4-wheeler! It's open season on everybody so long as we can claim de-fence 'gainst a foriegn threat, (which of course we wouldn't even have to prove seeing as how properly demonstrating that a threat exists would make the situation easy to solve through a non-violent and publicly acceptable means!)"

Quoth me: "Yee-haww! Lord praize these post 9-11 daze!"

-Fantastic Lad