Re: Who Are These Jerks, Anyway?

[whitvamp () MINDLESS COM]

On Fri, Feb 11, 2000 at 03:30:15PM +0100, Johnathan Meehan(jmeehan () EASYNET CO UK) wrote:

        This is in response to the whole thread, specifically your
comments.

        I agree with you somewhat, John.  However, I am still torn
between both sides, as are many people.  You have many valid points, as
do some other people.  (Regardless of the lack of tact.)

        Security through obscurity is a bad thing, few people who are
active in the security communities will argue against that.  However,
publishing point and click DoS tools and such is also not in the best
taste.  I thought about this for a while digesting what everyone had to
say, and this came to mind: What about the system administrator, the
system administrator who needs to check if his system is 
vulnerable?  This system admnistrator is possibly capable, and lacking
time, or simply incapable of creating his own tool.  Software versions
aside, et cetera, as there are always variables added to possibly
conflict the version/data provided by the initial advisory.  Sure, lists
like Bugtraq are out there for people like that, and quite frequently
people post their specific encounters with the 'bugs' on the list.  In
the end, the  definitive way to check if your system is vulnerable, 
without a doubt, is to use one of the tools provided (or not provided).

        I am not one to support incapable system administrators.  I deal
with them fairly frequently, and it is less than pleasant at times.

        It seems like you are fairly set in your opinion, so my words
may be wasted.  I myself do not have a set opinion on this, I am just
letting another side be known.

        I also do not completely agree with your previous statements.  I
would not condemn 2600 Magazine.  Chaostic.com, perhaps.  But that is a
truely unjust comparision.

        Things are changing.  The world is changing.  The Internet is
changing.  Some of the things we may not like, some we may, but there is
little we can do to stop a lot of the change.  Consider it a commercial
revolution of sorts.  Given, that is an oxymoron, depending upon how you
look at it.  I am starting to get off topic, so I will stop here.

Kind regards,
-- 
    __      ______   ____
   /  \    /  \   \ /   / WHiTe VaMPiRe\Rem
   \   \/\/   /\   Y   /  whitevampire () mindless com
    \        /  \     /   http://www.projectgamma.com/
     \__/\  /    \___/    http://www.gammaforce.org/
          \/ "Silly hacker, root is for administrators."

Attachment: _bin
Description: