RE: Hope conference talk on hacking the AS/400

["John Earl" <john.earl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> 
> And it you were an AS/400 security guy, you wouldn't do
> the same thing ? ;-)
>

The simple notion that one believes that one is a "security guy" does
not in itself give license to try to break into someone else's system.
If you give me permission (and, these days, pay me :), I'll test the
security of your system.  That is a small part of what makes me a
"security guy".  

However, if I try to break into your system simply because I think I may
be able to, I'm not acting as a "security guy", I'm really just a cheap
hacker committing criminal trespass.

Mel Beckman once said to me that most hackers are the internet
equivalent of doorknob rattlers.  They cruise networks looking for
unlocked doors and then thump their chest over their technical prowess
at having opened said unlocked doors.  The reality is that they are just
petty criminals who lack the moral compass that compels the rest of us
to stay out of each other's house, car, or computer.

So raise your glass to Mel, because I believe he hit the nail squarely
on the head there.

jte

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The PowerTech Group
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Seattle, WA 98032
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john.earl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:midrange-l-
> bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Chuck Lewis
> Sent: Monday, July 12, 2004 6:58 AM
> To: 'Midrange Systems Technical Discussion'
> Subject: RE: Hope conference talk on hacking the AS/400
> 
> And it you were an AS/400 security guy, you wouldn't do
> the same thing ? ;-)
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Alan
> Sent: Sunday, July 11, 2004 9:58 PM
> To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
> Subject: Re: Hope conference talk on hacking the AS/400
> 
> For what it's worth, the city in the address is very near
> there.
> 
> A while before that, I had an operations guy from Carnival
> Cruises in my
> AS/400 classes (circa 1992-1993?) and caught him trying
> all the default
> passwords on the class workstations (Class was lab). Don't
> remember the
> guy's name. Sheesh. That's in this area.
> 
> - Alan
> 
> 
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