____/ Rich R on Friday 04 January 2008 13:29 : \____
> Mark Kent wrote:
>
>> Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> espoused:
>>> UK gov sets rules for hacker tool ban
>>>
>>> ,----[ Quote ]
>>>| A revamp of the UK's outdated computer crime laws is long overdue.
>>>| However, provisions to ban the development, ownership and distribution
>>>| of so-called "hacker tools" draw sharp criticism from industry. Critics
>>>| point out that many of these tools are used by system administrators and
>>>| security consultants quite legitimately to probe for vulnerabilities in
>>>| corporate systems.
>>> `----
>>>
>>> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/01/02/hacker_toll_ban_guidance/
>>>
>>> Wait until they redefine and reclassify what qualifies as 'hacker' tool
>>> (DMCA? Perl?).
>>>
>>
>> What about those tools which home users use to probe for vulnerabilities
>> in their own systems? Why should only "consultants" be allowed to use
>> such tools? Why do governments even try to understand this stuff?
>>
>> We are quite likely to end up with a situation where only the criminals
>> are able to use standard components of linux distributions on the UK.
>> Legitimate users will be prevented from securing their own systems.
>> From a government which posts the personal details of 25 million
>> child-benefit recipients, this is, at best, somewhat ironic.
>>
>
> In any case, how can you prevent the use of these tools? It's not like
> buying a weapon from a shop where you have to prove your credentials, one
> simply downloads what one wants :) Whether they are illegal or not is
> irrelevant.
That's exactly why such laws are stupid. If someone wants to use such tools to
commit a crime, then some silly policy is laughable. It's as stupid as
attempting to prevent people from 'pirating' Windows using a EULA. If someone
intends to break & enter, then you know... come on... you have to try harder.
At the end of the day, to give an example from the music industry, it's the
legitimate customer that suffers the most. The so-called 'pirates' go to P2P
networks, swap CDs, or use torrents while technophobes suffer in DRM hell.
Maybe the British police should conduct it's so-called 'war on terror' by just
having cops on the beat. You know, let them just walk up and down the street
taking photographs of people who /look/ suspicious. Yes, that would /really/
stop criminals and end crime, wouldn't it? Or maybe they should eavedrop
on 'piracy tycoons' like a single mother or a grandma who downloaded 50
songs...
--
~~ Best of wishes
Charity: compensating for a broken system rather than actually fixing it
http://Schestowitz.com | GNU is Not UNIX | PGP-Key: 0x74572E8E
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