RE: Pen test - Attorney client Privilege?

["Craig Wright" <cwright () bdosyd com au>]

On another point, "work on an affidavit for a client with their counsel"
would be covered, but this is different to engaging a third party to
conduct a Pen test - an agreed procedures audit in effect.

A Pen Test in this case would require that it was conducted in order to
complete the affidavit - an unlikely situation in itself. It would also
require anticipated or contemplated proceedings.  Is the Pen test being
solely completed as there is an expectation of being involved with
litigation?

Again I do not see this as a good argument as this is an improbable
situation. Also it would open the opposing council to engage their own
Pen Test which would be admissible and have significant weight.

Craig

-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Robertson [mailto:compuwar () gmail com] 
Sent: 20 October 2005 8:08
To: Craig Wright
Cc: pen-test () securityfocus com; rob havelt
Subject: Re: Pen test - Attorney client Privilege?

On 10/19/05, Craig Wright <cwright () bdosyd com au> wrote:
[snip a buncha stuff I agree with]

> Discovery could request the reports directly from the Pen Tester - 
> thus by passing privilege any way.

Previous disclaimers apply- but here's my understanding-

Who you get the information from doesn't change its protection unelss
it's been disclosed outside of the necessary participants- in which case
privilege is lost.

For instance, when I work on an affidavit for a client with their
counsel, it's generally still protected material so long as only the
counsel, myself and the client are party to the work product.  Once it's
filed, the affidavit itself is not protected (unless it's under
seal,) but the work product that got us to the final version is
protected to a very large extent.

My analysis of opposing counsel's affidavit is probably a better
example, but I don't do that all too frequently (lack of interesting
engagements.)

It shouldn't matter if you go after me, the client or the attorney-
privilege is extended under the correct circumstances to the
communication, as it's done with counsel in preparation for a lawsuit.

Paul
--
www.compuwar.net

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