Slashdot Mirror
An Interview With Hacking Team's CEO
Alastair Stevenson writes: I talked to the leader of the world's most hated surveillance company about its path to recovery and morals, following a massive attack on its systems. CEO David Vincenzetti, as you might expect, thinks that his company "deserves the protection of law and order," and disclaims (also as you'd expect) responsibility for what its clients do with the privacy-unraveling software it provides: Law enforcement must have a way to do what it has always done, that is to track criminals and prevent or prosecute crime. With the development of global terrorism and especially the ‘lone wolf’ terrorist, this requirement is even more important.
Hacking Team has helped fight crime by providing a surveillance tool to law enforcement. The company believes this is a small step toward a more secure world for all who wish to used the Internet and digital tools lawfully.
How about normal people who deserve protection from law and order? Politicians are corrupt, laws mean money instead of justice and governments all over the world are turning into dictatorships where elections are pointless and leaders do whatever the hell they please against their own citizens.
Hacking Team is as guilty as the people building bombs. Sure they're not the ones launching them, but you know that's all they're going to be used for.
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They do an enormous amount of plotting with ... themselves?
Fifty years of Yippie! 1968-2018
What's he complaining about, again? He doesn't want to accept his fair share of the cost? That's just mean, though.
BI: Does Hacking Team know how the hackers managed to get into its systems?
DV: We have analysed the attack and learned a good deal about the techniques used, exactly what was taken, and how. That has allowed us to take steps to protect new systems that are now in place. Of course, we cannot provide details since to do so would provide valuable information for anyone wishing to attack our company in the future.
I believe that last line wasn't transcribed correctly. I believe what Vincenzetti actually said was, "Of course, we cannot provide details since to do so would provide valuable information, and then we wouldn't be able to sell it to our clients. You think we're gonna give this shit away for free?"
Exploits that were watermarked to the client that your sold them to.
These are not tools that should ever be in police hands. Requiring that outside firms do this sort of thing and thus need to keep the paper trail of warrants that allowed each and every event. Require that they be audited and a special prosecutor look into any apparent/potential breaches of law and prosecute them to the full extent (no plea deals). Require that all security vulnerabilities be disclosed to the public in 30-90 days. Tighten up these warrants in the first place and full public disclosure of the same after a reasonable investigatory period say 90 days.
The NSA etc should have these tools and a very big firewall between them and law enforcement.
No sir I dont like it.
There are laws for unreasonable search and seizure.
Shouldn't they apply to your electronics as well?
Minimum threshold fixed. Thanks!
I have a better idea than 'change'. Quit. Admit wrong. Or go suck the fat cash dick of of another tin pot dictator or wannabe Mousollini.
Silence is a state of mime.
If his company hadn't been hacked, and their filthy dirty laundry thrown in the street for everyone to see, would he still be talking about their need to find a "path to recovery and morals"?
I wish him nothing but a lifetime of regret and penury.
You are welcome on my lawn.
Isn't damage control great. "I completely disclaim all responsibility for everything my company has ever done. Even though I KNEW our products were being used illegally for evil purposes. FOR THE COMMON GOOD ... they said." (misquoted from "The Quiet Earth"). This is no different than some company selling Iran parts to build a nuclear weapon and then looking the other way and disclaiming all responsibility after they detonated one somewhere. "Oh it wasn't us, it was somebody else". These people need long prison sentences, for the common good of the world.
"Alastair Stevenson writes: I talked to the leader of the world's most hated surveillance company"
The NSA?
"If any question why we died, Tell them because our fathers lied."
and just because many things in the west that are OK or even normal are viewed as being criminal in certain countries is the fault. Oh what a web of lies we must tell ourselves so we can sleep at night knowing our product kills innocents.
Okay then, let's look at this from the perspective of morality.
One very good theory of morality is based on suffering.
The exploits of Hacking Team have greatly increased the suffering of a large number of people, while other actions they could have taken (such as reporting their exploits so that vendors can fix them) would have reduced that same suffering.
This is the definition of evil under the that theory: when your actions cause increased suffering of many people, it's evil.
Yes, there are corner cases and nuanced situations (such as the suffering of a caught criminal), but overall it's a good working definition and under that definition Hacking Team is [was] evil.
Or we could look at this from the perspective of Christian ethics.
According to Father Guido Sarducci, sins have penitant value. Lying is worth a dollar, killing is worth $50,000, and masturbation is something like $0.50.
(Yes, I'm referring to the selling of indulgances by the Catholic church.)
The exploits of Hacking Team have caused the torture and death of people. Hacking Team probably has an ecumenical debt worth millions of dollars.
This is the definition of sin under the that theory: when your actions damage society so much that you must atone by donating large sums of money to charity.
This is another good working definition and under that definition Hacking Team has racked up an enormous bank account of sin.
Hacking Team should vanish, we'd be all the better for it.
He needs to go and "F" himself. He claims law should protect his company but his company can break any law, as long as it helps his company make money. Hypocrisy anyone ?
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The more I know people, the more I love animals
sociopaths don't feel remorse ;)
How would you even require that? Most 3rd world countries (US, Europe, etc) don't even require a judge in order for their agencies to use these tools.
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It seems to me that knowing about a vulnerability, not telling the vendor, and telling someone else is tantamount to blackmail.
Why can't Microsoft etc go after these people in the courts?