UK ISP threatens security researcher

Thu Apr 19 18:59:12 UTC 2007

At 11:32 -0700 4/19/07, Owen DeLong wrote:

Being that I know nothing more than what is in the article, I will go 
along with the assessment that the ISP could have done a better job 
in running their network.  But I don't think that their reaction is 
uncalled for (given again that the article is all that I have to go 
on).

>He was definitely in a gray area and could have handled things better,
>but, the ISPs actions are way over the top and beyond reason for the
>situation in question.

The article fails to mention whether the student did try to use 
proper channels.  Perhaps he did - that would change my assessment. 
Passing judgement on so little data - and data in the press at that - 
is only as good as, well, the data presented.

Employing official channels is preferable to public humiliation. 
Complaints that "postmaster@" isn't set up correctly take on bigger 
importance when we can say "we tried to contact you via proper 
channels but then had to take our complaint public."

When I hear about such stunts, I wonder if the student did this all 
for self-promotion.
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Edward Lewis                                                +1-571-434-5468
NeuStar

Sarcasm doesn't scale.