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Ask Slashdot: To Hack Or Not To Hack?

Posted by Soulskill on from the ethics-and-responsibilities dept.

seeread writes "I discovered how to hack into and secure user accounts of a rising mobile payment start-up. Account info includes credit card details and usage. The company has big name financial backing and an IRL presence, but very few in-house developers, and they don't seem terribly concerned about security. Good samaritan that I am for now, I sent them an e-mail explaining the lapse on their part, but the responses I have received thus far are confused, aloof and unconvinced. So, I am wondering: what is the appropriate next step? Should I do a proof of concept? Should I go to the investors, or should I post about it somewhere? The representatives haven't been too receptive, despite the fact that their brand seems to be at risk, not to mention all of those users' credit cards. I almost feel like it's my responsibility to blow them out of the water if they have made it this far while compromising such trusted data. And although I would love to be in the paper, this hack is just too easy for it to be respectable, though I am sure the FBI could still be interested in all those credit card numbers."

6 of 517 comments (clear)

  1. NSA? by Toe,+The · · Score: 4, Funny

    Maybe you could get the NSA to hack them?
    Just brainstorming here...

  2. Re:You're just asking by seniorcoder · · Score: 5, Funny

    At least if you are going to do this, simply as a proof of concept of course, steal all their customers money. Then the risk/reward ratio is looking better.

  3. Send them here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Send them a link to this website: http://ask.slashdot.org/story/11/12/02/2124215/ask-slashdot-to-hack-or-not-to-hack

  4. Re:Language matters by hoggoth · · Score: 4, Funny

    Please use the appropriate term. It's "GNU cracking".

    --
    - For the complete works of Shakespeare: cat /dev/random (may take some time)
  5. Re:PCI by V!NCENT · · Score: 5, Funny

    "How can I help you?"
    -"Well, I noticed that your bank safe is wide open! You might want to cl-"
    "You asshole! I'm calling the FBI!"
    -"But people their money might get sto-"
    "Son, you are under arrest for looking at something and then notifying the owner about it"

    Why is the world ruled by morons?

    --
    Here be signatures
  6. Re:First thing first by Hognoxious · · Score: 1, Funny

    In this case it probably is a she. Who else would tell everybody about it?

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."