BLaster/Lovesan has a sibling now.

geoschmo · #1 August 13th, 2003, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Phoenix-D:
A life sentance for computer viruses? Harsh.

The problem will not go away unless you make the actions have appropriate repurcussions. This isn't some hacker sneaking into websites without permission. This is a serious crime with serious damage to the victims, there should be a serious penalty to the criminal as well.

Richard · #2 August 15th, 2003, 01:18 AM

True but the real problem is people need to take security serious. This exploit has been out for almost a month.

Thermodyne · #3 August 15th, 2003, 01:48 AM

One of the problems is the slashing of IT staff by businesses and government. Here, we are so short of staff that there is no way we can check our outlying offices more than once every other month, and then one network tech might have to hit three offices in three counties that day. Then on top of the network related duties, we have to do pc repairs also, that position was cut. Some of our offices are three hours away, so the better part of the day is spent traveling.

Gryphin · #4 August 14th, 2003, 02:38 PM

I spent Tuesday and part of Wednesday dealing with 120 very frustrated Users (and / or their systems). When I think of the productivity loss and high stress due to this BLasted BLaster I have three reactions:
1) Why did our Network people put off installing this patch?
2) I am glad I am not the one who made that call, (to not install the patch)
3) This guy single handedly set back medical research around the world by one full day, (we do cancer research). What other quality of life improvement did he interfere with? What punishment is appropriate for that alone?

geoschmo · #5 August 14th, 2003, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Richard:
True but the real problem is people need to take security serious. This exploit has been out for almost a month.

Sorry, I disagree with this totally. In what other type of crime are the criminals treated as stars and heros and and the victims critisized for not properly protecting themselves? I don't blame you for feeling that way since you work in the IT business. But until we treat this as a crime and not just another factor of business it's not going to get any better.

Geoschmo

Richard · #6 August 15th, 2003, 04:17 AM

I don't consider hackers heros, but just because there are police to stop criminals that doesn't mean that you don't lock your house when you leave.

It's fairly simple, the patch has been out for almost a month, there is no excuse (including the company I work for) for anyone who is responsible for a production system not having them patched by this point.

geoschmo · #7 August 15th, 2003, 02:22 PM

Richard, I don't mean to speak for you of course, but the typical protrayal of these guys is that they are basically harmless, bored, too smart for their own good, or even good intentioned if misguided in their methods. They are treated as heros within their own sub-culture, and some of them acchieve a sort of Jesse James cult standing among the general population who quietly view them as striking a blow against the evil tyranny of Microsoft, or big business in general. Often when they are caught they are given cushy jobs working for the security industry figuring out how to stop the punks that took over after they left. It's a bunch of crap. Instead they should be derided for what they are, malicous, destructive, deviant punks. And when caught they should be locked up for a serious amount of time and when let out not allowed to touch another computer for the rest of their lives.

I lock my door, but if I had to change the lock every week or every month to keep the punks form coming in my house I'd be pretty pissed off about it. I might decide to give up on the lock alltogether and sit inside the door with a gun instead.