Slashdot Mirror


Talk About A Security Hole, Go To Jail?

Nu11.org writes "According to a SecurityFocus article, 'Federal prosecutors in California went too far when they put a man in prison for disclosing a website security hole to the people at risk from it.'" According to the article, "...by explaining how the vulnerability worked, and why customer data was at risk, prosecutors asserted, the security specialist 'impaired the integrity' of the affected network", citing the case of Bret McDanel and his former employer, Tornado Development, Inc. We've discussed the disclosure of software exploits recently.

12 of 472 comments (clear)

  1. Compulsory jail joke by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · · Score: 2, Funny

    Federal prosecutors in California went too far when they put a man in prison for disclosing a website security hole

    Guess whose hole will need tight security now ?

    --
    "A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
    1. Re:Compulsory jail joke by BrynM · · Score: 2, Funny

      So did he secure his hole or did he publicly announce an open port and a vulnerability to the end users? ba-dum-ba....

      --
      US Democracy:The best person for the job (among These pre-selected choices...)
  2. I can see how this could make sense by Mad-cat · · Score: 3, Funny

    Nice network you got there. It'd be a shame if something happened to it. Like a security hole getting exploited, right Vinnie?

  3. USA ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    ... the land of free speech.

  4. Obligatory by Faust7 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Talk About A Security Hole, Go To Jail?

    Man, 90% of Microsoft's employees must be working out of prison...

  5. Re:1984 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Right, because this is JUST LIKE having your face eaten by rats and drinking Victory Gin. Jay-sus, do you pull out your Orwell for EVERY YRO STORY?

  6. summary by kaan · · Score: 5, Funny

    guy: "you're using Microsoft products, right?"
    customer: "yes, that's correct"
    guy: "well that's a huge security hole!"
    customer: "no way! we have to keep this secret! come on Jeff, let's put this guy in jail before he tells anyone else!"

  7. Re:Gee, thats swell by Gherald · · Score: 2, Funny

    Thats a gross generalization... who does this Lau guy think he is, some kind of philosopher? ;-)

  8. jail by loconet · · Score: 4, Funny

    Go directly to jail. Do not pass go. Do not collect 200 dollars. Do not tell others what you found. Let the hole be there for years. Let someone else find it and exploit it and collect 200 dollars.

    --
    [alk]
  9. Re:I've figured this sort of thing would happen by Cramer · · Score: 2, Funny

    How about "unsecured WEP"? I know of several WEP-active APs that will gladly hand out the WEP keys (at least to the windows wireless configuration crap) It might be the stupidest damn thing in the world, but it's true.

  10. What an amateur by retro128 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Everyone knows that the best way to let a company know about a security hole is to write a worm that exploits it and release it into the wild.

    --
    -R
  11. Re:So, in other words by Lord+Prox · · Score: 4, Funny

    All further 1, 2, n, n+1 Profit jokes are now obsolete.

    Not quite...

    4. Sell next version w/fix and new holes
    5. Profit (Again)
    6. Repeat as needed.


    This post is an attempt at humor. If you are lacking in humor and have mod points please see parent post.