[AusNOG] RISK - IT Industry - Concern Over Equipment Being, Installed in Data Centre Facilities - Further Replies

[Nathanael Bettridge]

Hi Skeeve,

> -----Original Message-----
> From: AusNOG [mailto:ausnog-bounces at lists.ausnog.net] On Behalf Of
> Skeeve Stevens
>
> A lot of people have this idea that everything should be openly discussed
> because doing it helps us all understand the situation and we can all
> contribute and solve the problem. This is a stupid idea mostly perpetrated by
> people who is not the person actually at most risk or the most to lose.

As others have mentioned, the obscurity vs public discussion matter is at the very least debatable if not entirely debunked. It's still a natural tendency though for people to want to conceal "dangerous" information.

> Should we openly discuss, on an archived list, with press watching. how we
> could use household goods to make explosives?
> Or talk about how easy it is to make certain bioweapons and the different
> ways we could deploy them?

No, because they would be off-topic :)
It's also possibly illegal to give too much detail on that in Australia, though it probably shouldn't be if it is.

> Or should we perhaps talk about how easy it is to commit fraud?

It's come up in other lists and here from memory a few times.

> Yes... lets give blueprints to people who are motived by malice so that they
> can go off and do what we're suggesting puts us at risk.

If people want to do bad things they'll do it regardless. It's not hard to figure out. At least we can be aware of the possibilities for defensive planning.

> Suitable forums are private industry ones with a membership criteria which is
> often gated to certain professions, peer recommendations, and so on.

You are welcome to restrict your own participation in these kinds of discussions to those forums of course. 
Others can make their own decisions on that.

-Nathanael Bettridge