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Re: Scandal: IT Security firm hires the author of Sasser worm


From: Barry Fitzgerald <bkfsec () sdf lonestar org>
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 2004 14:08:40 -0400

Larry Seltzer wrote:

He wrote a worm. Big freaking deal.

Yeah, very big freaking deal. He loosed an attack he had good reason to
believe would do damage to innumerable people all over the world. He
belongs in jail and for a long time, if only to send a message that such
behavior is wrong.
And anyone who trusts him with their computers is an idiot.


I'm not going to argue with the fact that he deserves jail time, but give me a break - there are people out there walking the streets who've stolen massive amounts of money and because their titles began with "CEO", "CIO", or "CFO" that's fine, but some guy creates a worm and everyone starts screaming WMD's!!oneoneone! let's hang him!"

He's a criminal, he deserves jailtime, any company that hires him without considering his past activities is foolish... but he's not the worst criminal in the history of time, in fact, he's probably not even in the top 99% of the worst criminals in the history of time. Can we all agree that if a company wants to hire him and disclose it, yes they may be stupid but a) he has a right to work and b) they have a right to hire him?

Disagree with the people involved all you like, but anyone who disagrees with the above statement is relying on a reactionary perspective that relies on dark-age/puritanical forms of penalty and needs to step back and think about their world-view for a long time.

            -Barry



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