[TriLUG] gpsmap experience

[Steve Litt]

On Monday 09 May 2005 09:45 am, Mike Johnson wrote:
> Glenn Meyer wrote:
> > Yep, you gotta play on their fears a little to get the to fork over the
> > cash.
> >
> > You bring up a good point that I haven't yet worked out a complete
> > solution for....  How to successfully sell without scaring them or
> > making them feel threatened.   However, it is a potential danger -
> > especially business (my main interest as customers).  They need to know
> > and get it locked down to a reasonable level.
>
> It should be noted that a guy went to jail not too long ago by
> approaching an area hospital with an offer to help secure their wireless
> network that he had found was wide open.  Not sure if he was convicted,
> but he was brought up on charges:
> http://www.wral.com/news/2465963/detail.html
>
> The security industry does not need to be all about fear, uncertainty,
> and doubt.
>
> Mike

Hi Mike,

I just read the article, and the way I read it this guy did a little more than 
approach the clinic offering to help. He mailed the clinic's information to a 
TV station. At that point he crossed the line between being helpful and 
unauthorized use of the information. Also, contacting patients and insurance 
companies was an illegal use of the information he garnered -- he shouldn't 
have known the patients or insurance companies.

In summary, the information was not his to dispense with as he saw fit.

A better way to handle it would have been:

1) Approached the hospital administration with the problem
2) Ask for permission to show them the problem
3) Accessed the information in their presence
4) Told them a competent admin could fix the problem
5) Offerred his services.

If the clinic did not respond, and if he was genuinely concerned, he should 
have contacted a government agency.

I am not a lawyer, and the preceding is just my personal opinion.

SteveT

Steve Litt
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