Nmap Announce mailing list archives
Re: publicly available resources and the law
From: Bennett Todd <bet () newritz mordor net>
Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1999 21:37:19 +0000
1999-02-26-13:29:18 Dion Stempfley:
Don't scan the same system repeatedly thousands of times; don't do anything illegal with the results; don't violate service provider agreements; and if you are told to stop by a site then stop.
I don't really disagree with anything Dion said, but I'd add: even if your service provider agreement doesn't seem to you to prohibit port scanning, do not count on it. See, I think Dion was only looking at part of the whole situation. If you port-scan systems that are not your own, without notifying the management of those systems in advance in writing, then one of these days, you'll scan someone who is cranky, irritable, and stubborn. He'll complain at your ISP, and if your ISP doesn't kick you off immediately he'll commence to bad-mouth that ISP in lists and newsgroups for harboring abusers until the ISP feels some serious pressure to buckle and kick you off. So don't do port-scans from accounts you would hate to lose suddenly, with no warning. And if you aren't careful to avoid hitting the Wrong Targets, one of these days you'll scan someone who has an infinite budget, and if it happens to strike their whim that they want to persecute you, you are in deep doo-doo; with enough money, they can purchase whatever legal outcome they want. You might not like the one they decide to buy. -Bennett
Current thread:
- Re: publicly available resources and the law, (continued)
- Re: publicly available resources and the law Ken Williams (Feb 24)
- Re: publicly available resources and the law Fyodor (Feb 24)
- Re: publicly available resources and the law Jesse Whyte (Feb 25)
- Re: publicly available resources and the law David Dennis (Feb 25)
- publicly available resources and the law System Administrator (Feb 25)
- Re: publicly available resources and the law vik bajaj (Feb 25)
- Re: publicly available resources and the law Ken Williams (Feb 24)
- Re: publicly available resources and the law Bennett Todd (Feb 26)