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70% of Sites Hackable? $1,000 Says "No Way"

Posted by kdawson on from the money-where-mouth-is dept.

netbuzz writes "Security vendor Acunetix is flogging a survey that claims 7 out 10 Web sites it checked have vulnerabilities posing a medium- to high-level risk of a breach of personal data. Network World's go-to security guy, Joel Snyder, says that percentage is 'sensationalist nonsense' — and he's willing to back that judgment with $1,000 of his own money. In fact Snyder will pay up if Acunetix can get personal data out of 3 of 10 sites chosen at random from their survey list."

7 of 146 comments (clear)

  1. Obligatory statistic jokes... by Neme$y$ · · Score: 5, Funny

    Reminds me of: "Three statisticians went out hunting, and came across a large deer. The first statistician fired, but missed, by a meter to the left. The second statistician fired, but also missed, by a meter to the right. The third statistician didn't fire, but shouted in triumph, "On the average we got it!"

    --
    "I've got a plan so cunning you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel"
    1. Re:Obligatory statistic jokes... by spellraiser · · Score: 4, Funny

      A statistician can have his head in an oven and his feet in ice, and he will say that on the average he feels fine.

      How many statisticians does it take to change a lightbulb? 1-3, alpha = .05

      Did you hear about the statistician who was thrown in jail? He now has zero degrees of freedom.

      In earlier times, they had no statistics, and so they had to fall back on lies.

      Smoking is a leading cause of statistics.

      Statistics are like a bikini - what they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital.

      Statistics in the hands of an engineer are like a lamppost to a drunk--they're used more for support than illumination.

      ---

      All jokes borrowed from here.

      --
      I hear there's rumors on the Slashdots
  2. This just in... by Funkcikle · · Score: 5, Funny

    Acunetix have just HACKED into Snyder's bank account and helped themselves to the $1000.

  3. Re:Legal? by bad_fx · · Score: 4, Funny
    Perhaps that's what Joel is counting on... Seems like Acunetix is screwed either way. Still, it's probably what they deserve for making the claims in the first place. ;) I had to laugh at this:

    "Without sounding apocalyptic, I believe the 70% figure should send tremors not just ripples in the market," says Kevin Vella, vice president of sales and operations, sounding apocalyptic in a press release.
  4. put in other words by teslar · · Score: 4, Funny

    Professional Hitman Mr Smith is flogging a survey that claims 7 out 10 people he has checked have a lack of police protection posing a medium- to high-level risk of getting them murdered. The police's go-to security guy, Mr Doe, says that percentage is 'sensationalist nonsense' -- and he's willing to back that judgment with $1,000 of his own money. In fact Mr Doe will pay up if Mr Smith can whack 3 of 10 people chosen at random from his survey list."

  5. Re:I'll take that $1000 now. by cortana · · Score: 4, Funny

    GOD. There should be some code in chmod that activates when the user does that. The code should punch the user in the face.

  6. Re:I'll take that $1000 now. by the_womble · · Score: 4, Funny
    This is because most people just dick with things randomly until they work. Then they walk away and don't think about it again until it stops working. This is the way most people use computers.

    You mean there is another way?