Re: Botnets, IRC servers and firewalls?

[Paul Robertson <proberts () patriot net>]

On Thu, 5 Feb 2004, Gadi Evron wrote:

> > By that particular accounting, we should have you and all of your family
> > put down, because people in your town have committed crimes!
>
> I apologize for the multiple email messages, but a better analogy just
> scoured to me that may get my point across:
>
> If you own a gun and it was stolen. Then, somebody used your gun to
> murder someone. Are you responsible for the murder? No.
>
> Can you be held partially responsible because your gun was used, and you
> didn't guard it well enough? Absolutely yes.

Not in this country, and nor should you- morally the theif and the
murderer are the ones at fault.  I can use your *pen* to kill someone
quite easily- does this mean that you're now required to have a "pen
safe?"  I can use the category 5 cable connecting your computer to the
jack in the wall to strangle someone- does that now have to be locked up?
Any legal system flawed enough to produce liability in such cases on a
regular basis is doomed to more abuse than the original damage.

This is the issue we're dealing with- a regular item (computer) is used as
a weapon.  Suddenly you need to protect your screwdrivers in a locked
cabinet?  Can't keep the tire iron in the car overnight anymore?  Must not
leave silverware in the dishwasher because it doesn't lock?

Filling stations held liable when fuel is used as an accellerant in arson?
Grocery stores held liable when two common cleaning products are mixed to
produce a fatal gas?  I could go on and on, but the fact here is that the
right thing morally is to hold accoutable the person doing the malicious
act- while civil penalties have been stretched (at least in the US) by
people abusing the system, I don't believe it's a good model for anyone to
purposefully follow.

> This is all on the philosophical level/plain, you shouldn't kill a guy
> when he talks in the philosophical level/plain. :o)

Philosophy, like religion provides a target rich environment ;)

Paul
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul D. Robertson      "My statements in this message are personal opinions
proberts () patriot net      which may have no basis whatsoever in fact."
probertson () trusecure com Director of Risk Assessment TruSecure Corporation
_______________________________________________
firewall-wizards mailing list
firewall-wizards () honor icsalabs com
http://honor.icsalabs.com/mailman/listinfo/firewall-wizards