Talk About A Security Hole, Go To Jail?
Now, this really scares me. I read this on the internet via my cell phone:
“Computer administrator Bret McDanel discovered a security flaw in his company’s software. He warned his managers. They ignored his pleas. So he quit and fired off thousands of e-mails alerting customers to the problem. The vulnerability at Tornado Development Inc. finally got fixed. But McDanel was charged and convicted of causing damage under the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.” Read the whole story at NewsDay.com: here.
This was also discussed on Slashdot,
here (“Talk About A Security Hole, Go To Jail?”)
and
here (“Feds Admit Error In McDanel Security Case”).
I’m glad the feds amitted the error, but it’s still scary because this could happen to any of us.
Update: A few sentances in the Newsday article really bother me;
“McDanel was convicted in a nonjury trial on June 25, 2002.”
Why didn’t he have a JURY trial???
…and,
“Would-be whistleblowers also need to worry about the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which restricts discussion of technology used to protect digital content.”
Restricts discussion of? What ever happened to free speech?
I’m about ready to go build a log-cabin in the wodds and grow my own food and never come back to “society”. Geezus!