amendments to computing act

some of you may not be aware that there is amendments being pushed forward to 1990 computer act.

BCS has reponse to it http://www.bcs.org/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.3511

I am like bcs on this while i agree change in law is good there is fine line when it comes to useage of tools...

Russ

The text of the amendment is

Nope, it's in PJ 2006. Look here:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmbills/119/06119.27-33.html#j381

there is fine line when it comes to useage of tools...

They're not commercial and I don't publish them, but NT security is one of my things and in the last decade I have "made" lots of tools. Some of these were pure research, proof-of-concept stuff with no other obvious use besides breaking security and stealing things.. oh and having informed arguments with the MS security folk about what needs fixing.

Anyway, I'm currently not employed as a security professional (e.g. pen-tester) and I would really, really, really resent it if it essentially becomes illegal to do what I've done unless you are employed by Qinetiq or whoever.

Full disclosure is also a founding principle of computer security (at least in opensource/internet circles). There's lots of good reading about it in the wikipedia article.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_disclosure

These changes in the law mean that companies can bully security experts who've found problems rather than fixing the software.