'Hacking Challenge' Winners Allege $43,000 Contest Rip-Off

'Hacking Challenge' Winners Allege $43,000 Contest Rip-Off
Kevin Poulsen, SecurityFocus 2002-11-26

Eighteen months after Argus Systems challenged the hacker world to crack its PitBull security product in a much-ballyhooed global contest, the winners say they're still waiting for their prize money.

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'Hacking Challenge' Winners Allege $43,000 Contest Rip-Off 2002-11-26
Can I still buy a PitBull beanie dog?

http://www.argus-systems.com/company/management/01.sandone.shtml

...

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'Hacking Challenge' Winners Allege $43,000 Contest Rip-Off 2002-11-26
Anonymous

Is this what we have come to expect from certain $ecurity companies?...

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Î hope we get updated when they receive the money 2002-11-26
Anonymous

or do you think they go bust before or after they pay ? ;-)

Strange how fast you can loose credibility.

I found it funny when all of the ISOs and stuff got removed from their site (argusrevolution.com or so) shortly after September 11th.

Makes you wonder just how much truth in those conspirac...

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'Hacking Challenge' Winners Allege $43,000 Contest Rip-Off 2002-11-26
Anonymous

It is disappointing that Argus cannot live up to their commitments. If this company cannot be trusted to give these guys their money, how can we trust their software to protect our systems? Talk about unprofessional. Stories like these tell you a lot about the integrity of the people you deal wit...

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'Hacking Challenge' Winners Allege $43,000 Contest Rip-Off 2002-11-26
Mark Litchfield

Has anyone noticed their Corporate identity

"Now there's a face you can trust"

Really :)...

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'Hacking Challenge' Winners Allege $43,000 Contest Rip-Off 2002-11-26
Me (1 replies)

If Argus can't own up to their financial responsibilities, then I don't think that they're product is worth purchasing, or if it's even feasable to do business with Argus. I work for a very large softaware company and actually considered PitBull. Not now.......

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'Hacking Challenge' Winners Allege $43,000 Contest Rip-Off 2002-11-27
Anonymous (1 replies)

I've taken them off my list of proposal to my management. ...

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'Hacking Challenge' Winners Allege $43,000 Contest Rip-Off 2002-12-03
Anonymous (1 replies)

I too have taken them off my list of potentials. BTW: We're a fortune 500 :) Tough luck.......

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'Hacking Challenge' Winners Allege $43,000 Contest Rip-Off 2002-12-05
Anonymous

While I agree Argus has acted disgracefully - it is a pity people like you cannot differentiate between a product and a company. I have been evaluating PitBull for 2 years and there is no other product that can achive what it can in terms of server security - not Trusted Solaris or Virtual Vault. ...

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'Hacking Challenge' Winners Allege $43,000 Contest Rip-Off 2002-11-26
Anonymous

I won't be installing their product for any of my clients. Ever. Too think, I once had respect for them.

K...

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'Hacking Challenge' Winners Allege $43,000 Contest Rip-Off 2002-11-27
dbc011

Amazing how easy it is to let ur mouth write a check ur azz can't cash....

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Give them a break! 2002-11-27
Anonymous (2 replies)

I hear the management responsible for all this is no longer at the company (read good riddance). It's one thing that you have bad management at a company and an entirely different thing that you have a great product like PitBull.

I hear the new management is honest and hope they would address thi...

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Give them a break! 2002-11-28
Anonymous

A break? You say that like Argus is the victim. How about a break when the obligation to pay is honoured.

So lone-ranger, are you the new management? The obvious way to "address this" is to cut a cheque for $43000, immediately, with interest. Not very complicated....

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Give them a break! 2002-12-04
doc

If management, old or new, isn't a summary of it's company, what is? PitBull may be a "good" product in your opinion, but product quality has little relation to other aspects large businesses would be interested in (i.e. tech. support, finaces, updates, etc.)

On a optimistic note:

"There is no ...

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'Hacking Challenge' Winners Allege $43,000 Contest Rip-Off 2002-11-27
Anonymous

Dissapointing to hear that the pitbull is a pitbully. Pardon the pun....

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'Hacking Challenge' Winners Allege $43,000 Contest Rip-Off 2002-11-28
Anonymous

My guess is they would have got the money from selling it if it had not been broken. Bad bet....

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A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do - WHERE'S YOUR HONOR? 2002-11-28
JC

The products from Argus are actually good. No product can be 100% secure... The only problem I see here is a matter of Trust.

It was always my belief that Security companies do have a security policy and a code of ethics... It is deeply disappointing to see that a company can do something as low as...

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'Hacking Challenge' Winners Allege $43,000 Contest Rip-Off 2002-11-28
GOBBLES (2 replies)

Speaking of security companies that aren't good to their word, Jeff Moss (Blackhat.com, defcon.org) has failed to pay GOBBLES Security the measly $200 speaker honorarium from the Defcon 10 talk.

It would be a good idea to boycott companies like Argus and Blackhat.com until they start displaying ...

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'Hacking Challenge' Winners Allege $43,000 Contest Rip-Off 2002-12-03
TW

hmm.. have you mentioned this to anyone at Blackhat? This in not the norm. I know for a fact that checks went out to folks, maybe there was a specific problem with yours. Smail address, etc. You should contact them.

TW...

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'Hacking Challenge' Winners Allege $43,000 Contest Rip-Off 2002-12-03
Jeff Moss

Frank,

Check #5636 was mailed to your Maryland address on 8-27-2002 for $200. It has not bounced back, and I see that the check has never been cashed.

If you have problems finding your mail, you could always ask for another check instead of crying in public....

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'Hacking Challenge' Winners Allege $43,000 Contest Rip-Off 2002-12-03
John Riley

I hope that one of two things happen: Either the company goes bankrupt, or pay's the individuals for winning the competition.

Please post similiar material. I find it an invaluable tool in discovering the true nature of a company. I am happy to say this company will never have the pleasure of ...

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I guess they should be glad Argus didn't turn around and nail them under the DMCA! 2002-12-04
Anonymous (1 replies)

nuff said...

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Re: I guess they should be glad Argus didn't turn around and nail them under the DMCA! 2006-06-01
Anonymous

DMCA doesn't protect you when you invite people to try and hack you....

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'Hacking Challenge' Winners Allege $43,000 Contest Rip-Off 2002-12-04
Aquavulvaman

Argus has a section on their site titled "Argus in the news" which is a section they use to link to online stories about their company and/or products. In the event you find a story about Argus you can email them at press (at) argus-systems (dot) com [email concealed]

I sent them an email telling them about this particular ...

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I won Infosecurity Asia 99 hacking contest and they ripped me off too 2002-12-04
Anonymous

I won their contest by compromising an NT server but then they took it offline, said it was the "wrong configuration", put it back online patched against my exploit. A reporter Robin Miller picked up my story at techsightings.com (now defunct and web.archive.org doesn't seem to have my articles). ...

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'Hacking Challenge' Winners Allege $43,000 Contest Rip-Off 2007-03-21
Anonymous

Heheheh -- doesn't seem very smart. Argus has made it's company and management team targets. What a bunch of fools....

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