Beware the Kindness of Strangers: The Case Against Good Samaritan Hackers

Beware the Kindness of Strangers: The Case Against Good Samaritan Hackers
Richard Forno, 2002-03-28

The Good Samaritan defence, invoked by hackers like Adrian Lamo, can too easily be distorted by those with less altruistic intentions.

Expand all | Post comment

Beware the Kindness of Strangers: The Case Against Good Samaritan Hackers 2002-03-28
Anonymous (1 replies)

Beware the Kindness of Strangers: The Case Against Good Samaritan Hackers 2002-04-03
Anonymous (1 replies)

Beware the Kindness of Strangers: The Case Against Good Samaritan Hackers 2002-04-07
johnny

Beware the Kindness of Strangers: The Case Against Good Samaritan Hackers 2002-03-28
Anonymous (8 replies)

Beware the Kindness of Strangers: The Case Against Good Samaritan Hackers 2002-03-29
Rick Forno (1 replies)

It's really refreshing... 2002-04-17
Anonymous

Beware the Kindness of Strangers: The Case Against Good Samaritan Hackers 2002-03-29
Anonymous

Beware the Kindness of Strangers: The Case Against Good Samaritan Hackers 2002-04-01
Matthew Z.

Beware the Kindness of Strangers: The Case Against Good Samaritan Hackers 2002-04-02
Jordan

Beware the Kindness of Strangers: The Case Against Good Samaritan Hackers 2002-04-02
Somebody

Your example is faulty...try this one.

The person walks by the bank, notices that the door is locked, but the lock is cheap and easy to defeat. The person takes out his trusty set of breaking and entering tools and gains entrance to the bank. When inside, he notices that the vault is also easy to crack, and proceeds to gain entrance to it. He stands in the vault...notices, but does not take any money...and then leaves. Later on, he calls the bank and reports that he was able to get beyond their security.

Its called breaking and entering, and tresspassing. It is a crime whether something was stolen or not.

[ reply ]

Link to this comment: http://www.securityfocus.com/comments/columns/70/11572#11572

Beware the Kindness of Strangers: The Case Against Good Samaritan Hackers 2002-04-07
Anonymous

Beware the Kindness of Strangers: The Case Against Good Samaritan Hackers 2002-04-17
Not-Anonymous

so next time i mistype an url... 2002-03-29
Anonymous (3 replies)

so next time i mistype an url... 2002-03-30
Anonymous (1 replies)

so next time i mistype an url... 2002-04-03
Anonymous

so next time i mistype an url... 2002-04-07
johnny

If you stumble across a security hole, don't report it -- you're incriminating yourself. 2002-04-17
Anonymous

Good Samaritan Guidelines 2002-03-29
Anonymous (1 replies)

Good Samaritan Guidelines 2002-04-09
ImNotAHacker@hotmail.com

Beware the Kindness of Strangers: The Case Against Good Samaritan Hackers 2002-03-29
In Response to the Anonymous Above

Beware the Kindness of Strangers: The Case Against Good Samaritan Hackers 2002-03-29
Anonymous (1 replies)

Beware the Kindness of Strangers: The Case Against Good Samaritan Hackers 2002-04-01
Steve (2 replies)