[LINK] Police probe hacking of GST Start-Up website

[Rick Welykochy]

Rachel Polanskis wrote:

> Is there actually a criteria that defines what hacking/cracking
> is as opposed to mindless tinkering?  I have heard of cases where
> a user connects to a site via telnet merely out of curiousity
> or accident and then having that construed by the server admin
> at the other end as a hostile action.

The phrase "unauthorised access to a computer system" comes to
mind. So does "unauthorised modification of data help on a computer
system".

And nothing wrong with those criteria. But if the "authentication" 
requirement of access to the computer system is not encforced,
the fault lies with the system implementors (admins, mgmt, etc)
rather than the accessor.

Tinkering that reveals lack of authentication is hardly hacking
or cracking; it is an integral part of the maintenance of the
Internet's overall security. In your local software dept we call
it unit testing.


--
Rick Welykochy || Praxis Services Pty Limited