Software Licensing: The Hidden Threat to Information Security

Software Licensing: The Hidden Threat to Information Security
Richard Forno, 2002-01-23

Software licensing agreements may contain stipulations that could jeopardize your network's security.

Publishing benchmarks 2002-01-23
Jake Riddoch

There is, perhaps, a way round these restrictions on publishing benchmarks. Any time you do these benchmarks and the vendor prevents you publishing, amend the article to mention very obviously that the vendor prevented publishing the benchmark. e.g. "upon seeing our benchmark results, vendor foo e...

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Isn't this a perfect application of the CFAA? (re: Mark Rasch's article on your Front Page) 2002-01-23
Anonymous

Hmmm. After reading Rasch's article and posting my disagreement, it seems to me that if Borland or any other company were to access your systems and gather ANY information beyond a registration number, then you could go after them under CFAA.

Go slap Rasch and then get your class-action suit rol...

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About license agreements 2002-01-23
TL (1 replies)

At least around these parts of the world (Europe), even software license agreements are limited by existing laws. If a license clause is deemed to be in violation of a particular law, it can be ruled void. For example, all mail order purchases have a 7-day mandatory return period. That means you are...

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About license agreements 2002-01-30
mmckay@iscubed.com

The US has the same general concept as Europe, when it comes to interpreting contract law. If the clause is illegal, it is thrown out (which may or may not effect the other clauses).

It gets really interesting the gray areas, for example a clause prohibiting reverse engineering is common in co...

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want do see a nice license agreement ... 2002-01-25
merith (1 replies)

Hello world,

since licensing is a very sensitive aspect in our "new" connected world with so many different software products living in and on our networks and computers i thougt this license terms are maybe interesting ...
Take a look at http://www.ngsec.com/ngsw.html the idea is good but .......

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want do see a nice license agreement ... 2002-02-02
Rick Forno

Gee, if that wasn't an unsolicited commercial endorsement of a product, I dunno what is. :(...

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re: publishing benchmarks 2002-01-27
trowe

"One final comment; these kind of restrictions could help along free software some
more, as these products don't have any restrictive licensing, allowing fair, unbiased
reviews of the products, free from any censorship. This openess should help to
ensure a level of trust from customers. ...

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Software Licensing: The Hidden Threat to Information Security 2002-01-30
Anonymous

In your article you commented "Would you knowingly deploy a product that continually ?calls home? to its vendor...?".

Last fall I installed a new hard drive (Western Digital) on my computer. It wasn't until my sons came home at Christmas time that we discovered that it was "calling home" under ...

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Software Licensing: The Hidden Threat to Information Security 2002-02-06
Anonymous

¿¿¿QUESTION???

Has anyone considered the "Contract of Adhesion" issue that's much like the Automobile manufacturers who had their "UNREASONABLE" restrictions, limitations, and even shortcomings simply "remedied" by the courts' re-writing the contracts as if they were issues in equity (fairness). ...

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Software Licensing: The Hidden Threat to Information Security 2002-02-06
Anonymous

I agree with Richard's premise and for the past year have been reading licenses before installing software. However, hidden information is not the only threat to making good decisions about security. Misinformation is just as bad if not worse. Check out this numbskull's use of Security Focus' own...

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