BBC fails to understand mens rea

[Richard Clayton]

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In article <TS0Xy2CGCUuJFAc7@highwayman.com>, Richard Clayton
<richard@highwayman.com> writes

>... another aspect I didn't mention earlier is that in order to warn the
>people involved that they used to be part of botnet-beeb, the BBC
>journalists have altered their screensavers (which is another 22,000
>offences to take into consideration, M'lud).

In a timely commentary Mich Kabay reminds us that last year Tipping
Point was in a position to clean up all the machines on the Kraken
botnet, but their management pointed out that this would be illegal
under US law (as it is under UK law) and forbade it:

<URL:http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/sec/2009/031609sec1.html?nl
adname=031709securitystrategiesal&code=nlsecstrat187098>

... he goes on to point out it's not just a matter of legality, but also
that when things go wrong on some machines (as is almost inevitable)
then there is always potential for damage caused by the clean-up
operation itself.

Kabay is basing his comments on a year-old article from NetworkWorld
(I've no idea why he suddenly picked on the topic this week, but perhaps
it was the BBC foolishness?)

<URL:http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/043008-researchers-
infiltrate-kraken-botnet-could.html>

- -- 
richard                                              Richard Clayton

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.         Benjamin Franklin



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