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From: msf@amelia (Michael S. Fischbein)
Newsgroups: comp.misc,misc.headlines
Subject: Re: Hacker Scholarship
Message-ID: <2231@ames.arpa>
Date: Fri, 3-Jul-87 13:35:20 EDT
Article-I.D.: ames.2231
Posted: Fri Jul  3 13:35:20 1987
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Reply-To: msf@amelia.UUCP (Michael S. Fischbein)
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One point that no one seems to have brought up yet in this discussion is
the "attractive nuisance" laws.  As I understand them (ie, my nodding
acquaintance with the topic), some items (such as a swimming pool) are
"attractive nuisances" and it is the owner's responsibility to set up
security measures (such as a fence to prevent the local toddlers from
drowning).

Given the current state of US culture (no pro or con arguments, just
let it be there), maintaining a computer system without minimal
security is certainly an attraction, both to the irresponsible
`crackers' and the curious 'hackers'.  Extending this sort of
opportunity might even be contributing to the delinquency of a minor,
or something.

No, people should not have to triple lock their doors, hire armed
guards, etc.  But bank vaults should.  Not all computers need call
back modems, multiple encryption schemes, etc.  But some do.  If you
leave your door open and someone steals your stereo, you were not
quite brilliant for leaving it open, but the thief is just that, a
thief.  If you leave your stereo on the curb and someone picks it up
thinking you are throwing it away, what then?  How about if you leave
it in a public area, unsecured, for several days?

Computer breakins are just a phone call away -- if someone calls your
home phone and you don't want to talk to them, are they stealing your
telephone access?  If so, what sort of penalty should be imposed?  How
does this impact direct telephone marketers?  If someone calls your
computer, that you want to keep secure, and you don't have at least a
non-well-known account/password combination, you have left your data
in a public place (the telephone exchange) without even a sign on it
that says "mine."  There is a big difference between someone tapping a
phone or committing b&e to get a password to enter a nominally secure
system and someone who connects to a modem tone and gets "Welcome to
the Whizzo Co orders database" without being asked for id.  I don't
know of any multi-user computer system capable of remote access that
doesn't offer that level of security for free.  Yes, it requires a
system administrator with an IQ > 50.  Yes, it can be broken in
several ways, depending on the specific system.  But if you park your
car with the window down and the engine running, it may get stolen.
Lock it, it might still be stolen but the chances are less -- and
there is next to no chance that it will be stolen on a lark, by
someone out for a joyride rather than profit.

		mike

(maybe I should have said LaRC? :-))