Did I just win? • Hacker News Board

Re: Did I just win?

#11

Post by untog » Fri, May 13, 2016, 6:04 PM UTC

TrevorJ wrote: post #7

msoad wrote: post #4

Social Engineering is not accepted in most hacking contests.

Interesting discussions to be had as to why this is the case. I suspect it would make it too easy.

I suspect it's just because there are too many variables. Social Engineering isn't exactly a replicable science.

Re: Did I just win?

#12

Post by jerf » Fri, May 13, 2016, 6:05 PM UTC

TrevorJ wrote: post #7

msoad wrote: post #4

Social Engineering is not accepted in most hacking contests.

Interesting discussions to be had as to why this is the case. I suspect it would make it too easy.

Actually, it's not that interesting of a discussion. You just had it. Yes, it makes it too easy.

Re: Did I just win?

#13

Post by notatoad » Fri, May 13, 2016, 6:05 PM UTC

aaroninsf wrote: post #3

[[ obligatory reference to Betteridge's law ]]

But this is actually a violation of betteridge's law. He did win.

Re: Did I just win?

#14

Post by LeoPanthera » Fri, May 13, 2016, 6:06 PM UTC

notatoad wrote: post #13

aaroninsf wrote: post #3

[[ obligatory reference to Betteridge's law ]]

But this is actually a violation of betteridge's law. He did win.

It's also not a headline, so it doesn't apply anyway.

Re: Did I just win?

#15

Post by pnathan » Fri, May 13, 2016, 6:07 PM UTC

That is a gem of cleverness.

Re: Did I just win?

#16

Post by Vaskivo » Fri, May 13, 2016, 6:07 PM UTC

dragontamer wrote: post #6

I guess a webpage is a software project...

He has his page hosted in github: https://github.com/defuse/defuse.ca/blob/4770ad5c9d4851d4081...

Re: Did I just win?

#17

Post by oh_sigh » Fri, May 13, 2016, 6:08 PM UTC

Vaskivo wrote: post #16

dragontamer wrote: post #6

I guess a webpage is a software project...

He has his page hosted in github: https://github.com/defuse/defuse.ca/blob/4770ad5c9d4851d4081...

Well, it's a PHP file. I'd consider that a software project.

Re: Did I just win?

#18

Post by clavalle » Fri, May 13, 2016, 6:09 PM UTC

untog wrote: post #11

TrevorJ wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting discussions to be had as to why this is the case. I suspect it would make it too easy.

I suspect it's just because there are too many variables. Social Engineering isn't exactly a replicable science.

Individually, no, but statistically...perhaps?

Re: Did I just win?

#19

Post by untog » Fri, May 13, 2016, 6:11 PM UTC

clavalle wrote: post #18

untog wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suspect it's just because there are too many variables. Social Engineering isn't exactly a replicable science.

Individually, no, but statistically...perhaps?

Perhaps. There's also the depressing reality that you can't actually stop social engineering conclusively. A sysadmin is always going to need to have a login with administrative privileges, and they're always going to be fallible.

Re: Did I just win?

#20

Post by mistercow » Fri, May 13, 2016, 6:14 PM UTC

LeoPanthera wrote: post #14

notatoad wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But this is actually a violation of betteridge's law. He did win.

It's also not a headline, so it doesn't apply anyway.

It's Betteridge's Second Law: the answer to any question is "no".

It really simplifies things.