Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

MIT Students' Gag Order Lifted

Posted by kdawson on from the common-sense-descends dept.

mytrip and several other readers let us know that a judge in Boston has lifted the gag order — actually let it expire — against three MIT students who discovered flaws in the security of the local transit system, the MBTA. We've discussed the case over the last 10 days. "Judge O'Toole said he disagreed with the basic premise of the MBTA's argument: That the students' presentation was a likely violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, a 1986 federal law meant to protect computers from malicious attacks such as worms and viruses. Many had expected Tuesday's hearing to hinge on First Amendment issues and what amounts to responsible disclosure on the part of computer security researchers. Instead, O'Toole based his ruling on the narrow grounds of what constitutes a violation of the CFAA. On that basis, he said MBTA lawyers failed to convince him on two points: The students' presentation was meant to be delivered to people, and was not a computer-to-computer 'transmission.' Second, the MBTA couldn't prove the students had caused at least $5,000 damage to the transit system."

3 of 160 comments (clear)

  1. HA! by AndGodSed · · Score: 5, Funny

    the basic premise of the MBTA's argument: That the students' presentation was a likely violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, a 1986 federal law meant to protect computers from malicious attacks such as worms and viruses.

    Yeah - real successful law that.

    --

    Seven Days with Ubuntu Unity

  2. Bad Lawyers? by TheNecromancer · · Score: 5, Funny

    Lawyers for the MBTA claimed Tuesday they had proof the students had violated the law, but stopped short of specifying what they did.

    Wow, I can just see these lawyers:

    Lawyer: "They broke the law. We have the proof."
    Judge: "What is your proof?"
    Lawyer: "Um, they...uh, yeah, they just broke the law."

    --
    Attention all planets of the Solar Federation! We have assumed control! - Neil Peart
  3. Re:They can't hold their talk now, can they? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I find people saying "Can I ask you a question?" is worse.

    My response is often "You just did."

    And of course they immediately say "Can I ask you another question?" to which you reply "You just did."

    Finally they say "Can I ask you 2 questions?"

    And having already identified yourself as a jerk you say "No."