Re: Scanning the Internet for Vulnerabilities

[John Curran <jcurran () istaff org>]

Barry -

I did not say “obligation” - enforcement of laws is always modulated by local factors
 (just look at the formal decision not to prosecute “minor” crimes in some cities) - 
but rather said that police will pursue in many jurisdictions.   This is particularly true 
in cases where the perpetrator is still on the premises to be taken into custody.

Yes, there are indeed places in the physical world where legal recourse against a 
perpetrator is becoming less likely (just as it is on the Internet); this is particularly 
disappointing given that legal recourse is recognized as a basic human right.

Thanks,
/John

Disclaimers: my views alone.  Use/reuse/delete as desired. 
                    Contents may be hot; use caution when handling.

> On Jun 22, 2022, at 5:45 PM, bzs () theworld com wrote:
>
> 
> > On June 22, 2022 at 10:35 jcurran () istaff org (John Curran) wrote:
> > Barry - 
> >
> >
> >    There is indeed a metaphor to your “rattling doorknobs", but it’s not
> >    pretty when it comes to the Internet…   
> >
> >    If you call the police because someone is creeping around your property
> >    checking doors and windows for 
> >    possible entry, then they will indeed come out and attempt to arrest the
> >    perpetrator (I am most certainly 
> >    not a lawyer, but as I understand it even the act of opening an unlocked
> >    window or door is sufficient in many 
> >    jurisdictions to satisfy the “breaking the seal of the property” premise
>
> One can find a lot of articles and court decisions which amount to no,
> the police have no such obligation despite people's strong belief that
> they do:
>
>  https://mises.org/power-market/police-have-no-duty-protect-you-federal-court-affirms-yet-again
>
>  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Town_of_Castle_Rock_v._Gonzales
>
>  (not even if you have a restraining order against the person)
>
> etc.
>
> They do have an obligation to protect someone when they are in their
> custody but that's about it.
>
> The recent behavior of the Uvalde police standing around while
> children were being shot may not have been their proudest moment but
> they violated nothing by doing so.
>
>  https://www.thenation.com/article/society/uvalde-police-supreme-court/
>
> So let's try to extrapolate that to the internet and LEOs...good luck!
>
> >    and warrant charging under breaking 
> >    and entering statues.)
> >
> >    Now welcome to the Internet…  paint all your windows black, remove all
> >    lighting save for one small bulb
> >    over your front entry.   Sit back and enjoy the continuous sounds of
> >    rattling doorknobs and scratching at 
> >    the windows.
> >
> >    If/when you find a digital culprit creeping around inside the home, your
> >    best option is burn down the place 
> >    and start anew with the copies you keep offsite in storage elsewhere.  
> >    Similarly if you find a “trap” (e.g., 
> >    a phishing email) placed on your patio or amongst your mail… discard such
> >    cautiously and hope your 
> >    kids use equal care. 
> >
> >    “Best practice” for handling these situations on the Internet is
> >    effectively to cope as best you can despite
> >    being inundated with attempts – i.e. most Internet security professionals
> >    and law enforcement will tell you
> >    that the idea of actually trying to identify and stop any of the culprits
> >    involved is considered rather quaint
> >    at best – i.e. we’re instead going to engage in the worlds longest running
> >    game of “whack-a-mole” by just
> >    blocking their last known website/mail server/botnet and the wishing for
> >    the best…  
> >
> >
> > Enjoy your Internet! 
> > /John
> >
> > Disclaimers:  My views alone - use, reuse, or discard as desired.   
> >                      This message made of 100% recycled electrons. 
> >
> >
> >    On 22 Jun 2022, at 12:04 AM, bzs () theworld com wrote:
> >
> >
> >    When I lock the doors etc to my home I'll often mutter "ya know, if
> >    someone is rattling my door knob I already have a big problem."
> >
> >    I suppose when I'm home it might give me a warning if I hear it.
> >
> >    There must be a metaphor in there somewhere.
> >
> >    I do recall as a teen noticing that one of the closed store's on the
> >    main drag's door was unlocked late one night walking home (this was in
> >    NYC.)
> >
> >    I saw a cop and told him and he scolded me angrily for rattling door
> >    knobs, I could be arrested for that! But verified it, looked around
> >    inside with his flashlight, and called it in.
> >
> >    I forget how I noticed but I wasn't in the habit of rattling stores'
> >    door knobs, I think the door was just a bit ajar.
> >
> >    There must be a metaphor in there somewhere.
> >
> >    On June 21, 2022 at 10:01 mpalmer () hezmatt org (Matt Palmer) wrote:
> >
> >        On Mon, Jun 20, 2022 at 02:18:30AM +0000, Mel Beckman wrote:
> >
> >            When researchers, or whoever, claim their scanning an altruistic
> >            service,
> >            I ask them if they would mind someone coming to their home and
> >            trying to
> >            open all the doors and windows every night.
> >
> >
> >        If there were a few hundred people with nefarious intent trying to open
> >        your
> >        doors and windows every night, someone doing the same thing with
> >        altruistic
> >        intent might not be such a bad thing.
> >
> >        - Matt
> >
> >
> >    --
> >           -Barry Shein
> >
> >    Software Tool & Die    | bzs () TheWorld com             | http://
> >    www.TheWorld.com
> >    Purveyors to the Trade | Voice: +1 617-STD-WRLD       | 800-THE-WRLD
> >    The World: Since 1989  | A Public Information Utility | *oo*
>
> -- 
>        -Barry Shein
>
> Software Tool & Die    | bzs () TheWorld com             | http://www.TheWorld.com
> Purveyors to the Trade | Voice: +1 617-STD-WRLD       | 800-THE-WRLD
> The World: Since 1989  | A Public Information Utility | *oo*