Use a Honeypot, Go to Prison?

scubacuda writes "Using a honeypot to detect and surveil computer intruders might put you on the working end of federal wiretapping beef, or even get you sued by the next hacker that sticks his nose in the trap, according this (old) Security Focus article. Honeypots could be federal criminal law calls "interception of communications", a felony that carries up to five years in prison. Because the Federal Wiretap Act has civil provisions, as well as criminal, there's even a chance that a hacker could file a lawsuit against a honeypot operator that doesn't have their legal ducks in a row. "It would take chutzpah," said Richard Salgado, senior counsel for the Department of Justice's computer crime unit, "But there's a case where an accused kidnapper who was using a cloned cell phone sued for the interception of the cell phone conversations... And he won.""

Comments

What does that prove?

[Anonymous Coward]

Fact:
Coffee is hot

Fact:
People like hot coffee

Fact:
If you serve coffee at 150 degrees, it gets too cold within 15 minutes and is not enjoyable

Fact:
McDonalds used to serve it hot enough that it will be hot enough to enjoy 30 minutes late

Fact:
Spilling hot coffee on your lap causes burns

Fact:
Burns can be serious

Fact:
There are clumsy people in the world

Fact:
There are stupid people in the world

Fact:
Its sad when people, even stupid clumsy people, get burned.

All of these facts are, indeed, facts.

So why is simply following fact some sort of "urban legend".

A clumsy fat lady spilled really hot coffee on her lap and got seriously burned.

So McDonalds is liable?

Duh?