IP: More on McAfee security flap

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> Subject:  FC: AP's Ted Bridis replies to McAfee: "I stand by my
> reporting"
> Date:       Mon, 26 Nov 2001 17:36:36 -0500
> From:      Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>
> To:          politech () politechbot com
> CC:         tbridis () ap org
>
> Previous Politech article:
>
> "McAfee replies -- by denying any FBI contacts of any sort"
> http://www.politechbot.com/p-02839.html
>
> ---
>
> From: "Ted Bridis" <tbridis () ap org>
> To: "Declan McCullagh" <declan () well com>, <politech () politechbot com>
> Subject: RE: McAfee replies -- by denying any FBI contacts of any sort
>
> Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2001 17:11:32 -0500
>
>  >>Perhaps Ted can elaborate?<<
>
> I stand by my reporting for the AP. This information came from a
> senior
> company officer. I won't identify this person in this post because
> I've
> been unable to reach this person by phone or e-mail since the flap
> erupted.
>
> I can't resolve what McAfee told me last week and today's
> contradictory
> statement except to note the critical public response against McAfee
> that
> emerged over the holiday weekend.
>
> I do empathize with the awkward dilemma this puts companies in: Good
> U.S.
> corporate citizens have a responsibility to assist the FBI in criminal
> and
> terrorism investigations. But accommodating the government by
> intentionally
> building a weakness/vulnerability into detection or security software
> seems
> to carry a lot of consequences.
>
> I noticed that McAfee's statement doesn't say they will not build any
> such
> an accommodation into its antivirus or its firewall software if the
> FBI
> asks, just that it hasn't been asked to do it yet and that it complies
> with
> all U.S. laws.
>
> But as McAfee's PR release noted, much of this is speculative since
> nobody's sure how Magic Lantern would be installed remotely (as an
> enticing e-mail
> attachment, "fbi-porn.exe"? Or using a buffer overflow? Or using
> different
> vectors depending on the target's o/s and applications?) If it's the
> latter, wouldn't the major operating system vendors need to leave
> unpatched holes
> for the FBI to exploit? Where does it end?
>
> Rgds,
> Ted Bridis, staff writer
> The Associated Press
> 2021 K St., NW, Suite 600
> Washington, DC 20006
> (202) 776-9462, voice
> (202) 776-9570, fax
> (202) 437-4640, cell
>
>
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list
> You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice.
> Declan McCullagh's photographs are at http://www.mccullagh.org/
> To subscribe to Politech:
> http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html
> This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ============
> To UNSUBSCRIBE from the ignition-point list, send email to:
> majordomo () theveryfew net
> In the body of the message, include only the line:
> unsubscribe ignition-point <your address>


For archives see:
http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/