111–120 of 156 posts
Wow, does 6-months in jail seem a little severe? How does one even get someone prosecuted for this crime? We hired a licensed plumber on 2 occasions - to install a sink and later a shower. We just had a different plumber out because the sink was plugged up. He pointed out that the prior plumber had installed the sanitary-t upside down basically guarantying it would eventually become clogged. We also had him look at t…
Off topic but is does anyone else feel that the phrase “logic bomb” is too meaningless for the frequency with which it shows up in reporting these days? It makes it sound more sophisticated than it is. What’s wrong with calling it malware? Or even better, simply criminal behaviour that happens to involve a computer.
We really like PR in this field. We call making a copy of a file "piracy", as in piracy on the high seas. We call adding a password to an Excel spreadsheet a "bomb", as in a device designed for leveling entire cities and brutally murdering everyone nearby. We call adding restrictions to books and films "digital rights", kind of like the "bill of rights" that protects our country's core values. The prosecutors and ind…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
We deliver source to the customer, and include compiled binaries and installers as a (paid) courtesy. Without the source, the customer loses the ability to switch software contractors, which is against their procurement rules. Even if you don't have the clout of being huge, not controlling the source for business-critical software is basically putting the supplier's gun up to your own head. Companies that take binary…
I once worked for a company that had a spreadsheet for plant production planning. The spreadsheet was put together by a consultant, but it was not protected - the company adjusted it constantly to maximize productivity at the plant. The consultant made more than the plant manager because he was the only person who understood the spreadsheet enough to make meaningful changes as required, e.g. when a machine on the lin…
In 2011 Tinley had refused to hand over the password to unlock the spreadsheet for editing when asked, claiming he was protecting his work product. > For years, the spreadsheet would glitch, Tinley would be hired to come in, would "fix" it, invoice Siemens, and head out again. But that all changed in May 2016 when Tinley was out of state, and Siemens called again about the spreadsheet. The company had an urgent order…
Must have been a brain freeze moment to hand over that password.
Wow, does 6-months in jail seem a little severe? How does one even get someone prosecuted for this crime? We hired a licensed plumber on 2 occasions - to install a sink and later a shower. We just had a different plumber out because the sink was plugged up. He pointed out that the prior plumber had installed the sanitary-t upside down basically guarantying it would eventually become clogged. We also had him look at t…
1. Ignorance/Incompetence -- wasn't paying attention?
2. Gross negligence -- doing it wrong was somehow quicker and cheaper.
3. Fraud -- calculated to fail.
p.s. Dealing with similar case of malfeasance myself just now (electrical). Looks to be about #1 20%, #2 80%.
Wow, does 6-months in jail seem a little severe? How does one even get someone prosecuted for this crime? We hired a licensed plumber on 2 occasions - to install a sink and later a shower. We just had a different plumber out because the sink was plugged up. He pointed out that the prior plumber had installed the sanitary-t upside down basically guarantying it would eventually become clogged. We also had him look at t…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
On the one hand, yes, that's crazy. On the other hand, an argument can be made that company accept proprietary software in binary form all the time, and this is no different ! Still a good laugh from the sidelines...
We deliver source to the customer, and include compiled binaries and installers as a (paid) courtesy. Without the source, the customer loses the ability to switch software contractors, which is against their procurement rules. Even if you don't have the clout of being huge, not controlling the source for business-critical software is basically putting the supplier's gun up to your own head. Companies that take binary…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
If he's purposely making mistakes to get work in the future then I don't think 6-months in jail is that bad. It's just plain fraud isn't it? Not to mention an expensive inconvenience for all of his customers who have to deal with his shoddy work. On the other hand, it's entirely possible the plumber made an honest mistake.
This sounds similar to planned obsolescence, so the moral is if you design it that way, as a manufacturer, you are ok. Definitely a grey area here. Edit: After some thought, I feel a precedent. My car has parts that don't become obsolete, they flat break requiring never ending service. Surely I can sue for fraud as the auto company has the ability to use another means. (Devils advocate)
Surely you understand the difference between a part that naturally wears out over time due to friction and wear and tear, versus a part that's delibrately installed incorrectly to cause a malfunction?
Off topic but is does anyone else feel that the phrase “logic bomb” is too meaningless for the frequency with which it shows up in reporting these days? It makes it sound more sophisticated than it is. What’s wrong with calling it malware? Or even better, simply criminal behaviour that happens to involve a computer.
We really like PR in this field. We call making a copy of a file "piracy", as in piracy on the high seas. We call adding a password to an Excel spreadsheet a "bomb", as in a device designed for leveling entire cities and brutally murdering everyone nearby. We call adding restrictions to books and films "digital rights", kind of like the "bill of rights" that protects our country's core values. The prosecutors and ind…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> If he had accidentally written sloppy code The damage was intentional (i.e., not an accident).
Right. In this case he plead guilty and admitted to having done it. I am just curious as to which specific laws he broke and whether it is possible to inadvertently break these laws by being a horrible programmer. If he had intentionally created a spaghetti code mess that just happened to break from time to time would that be different? I assume intention is difficult to prove in court but I am not an attorney.
18 USC 1030, or:
> > intentional damage to a protected computer