Re: Rate Stratfor's Incident Response

[Paul Schmehl <pschmehl_lists () tx rr com>]

--On January 13, 2012 12:03:22 PM -0500 Benjamin Kreuter 
<ben.kreuter () gmail com> wrote:

> On Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:37:31 -0600
> Paul Schmehl <pschmehl_lists () tx rr com> wrote:
>
> > --On January 12, 2012 3:16:19 PM -0500 Benjamin Kreuter
> > <ben.kreuter () gmail com> wrote:
> >
> > > The law is not going to stop the really bad people
> > > from attacking your system, nor is it going to stop them from
> > > profiting from whatever access they gain; sending law enforcement
> > > after someone who reports problems to you accomplishes little and
> > > only discourages people who might try to help you.
> >
> > Assuming everyone's motives are as pure as the driven snow is a bit
> > naive, don't you think?
>
> Are there lingering doubts about the motives of someone who is
> reporting a vulnerability to you?  They could have just profited from
> their discovery and never bothered to tell you.  In any case, what have
> you accomplished by sending the cops after *someone who is helping you*?

Unless you're a complete fool, yes.  You say you're helping me, but you 
broke in to my server.  How do I know you didn't help yourself to a 
permanent back door?

Again, it's naive to think that most people are motivated purely by a 
desire to help others, especially when they are actively intruding into 
other people's assets.

YOU might say thank you, but I'll be taking the server offline, grabbing 
forensic images and rebuilding it long before I get around to saying thank 
you.

-- 
Paul Schmehl, Senior Infosec Analyst
As if it wasn't already obvious, my opinions
are my own and not those of my employer.
*******************************************
"It is as useless to argue with those who have
renounced the use of reason as to administer
medication to the dead." Thomas Jefferson
"There are some ideas so wrong that only a very
intelligent person could believe in them." George Orwell

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