full-disclosure - Scandal: IT Security firm hires the author of Sasser worm

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From: bkfsec at sdf.lonestar.org (Barry Fitzgerald)
Subject: Scandal: IT Security firm hires the author
 of  Sasser worm

Larry Seltzer wrote:

>>>He wrote a worm.  Big freaking deal.  
>>>      
>>>
>
>Yeah, very big freaking deal. He loosed an attack he had good reason to
>believe would do damage to innumerable people all over the world. He
>belongs in jail and for a long time, if only to send a message that such
>behavior is wrong. 
>
>And anyone who trusts him with their computers is an idiot.
>
>
>  
>
I'm not going to argue with the fact that he deserves jail time, but 
give me a break - there are people out there walking the streets who've 
stolen massive amounts of money and because their titles began with 
"CEO", "CIO", or "CFO" that's fine, but some guy creates a worm and 
everyone starts screaming WMD's!!oneoneone! let's hang him!"

He's a criminal, he deserves jailtime, any company that hires him 
without considering his past activities is foolish... but he's not the 
worst criminal in the history of time, in fact, he's probably not even 
in the top 99% of the worst criminals in the history of time.  Can we 
all agree that if a company wants to hire him and disclose it, yes they 
may be stupid but a) he has a right to work and b) they have a right to 
hire him?

Disagree with the people involved all you like, but anyone who disagrees 
with the above statement is relying on a reactionary perspective that 
relies on dark-age/puritanical forms of penalty and needs to step back 
and think about their world-view for a long time.

             -Barry