RE: Pre-Scanning for Marketing

From: Wray, Donald W (Donald.Wray@HaverstickInc.com)
Date: Wed Jan 11 2006 - 07:59:47 EST


What I might do is contact, in person, an authorized officer of the organization, CIO, CISO, or CSO for example and offer a free preliminary scan and then set up a meeting to discuss the results and possible future work. But as you have said and many others that without permission it just is not ethical and could lead to no future work and maybe even something worse.
 
Donald W. Wray, CISSP
Donald.Wray@haverstickconsulting.com

________________________________

From: Password Crackers, Inc. [mailto:pwcrack@pwcrack.com]
Sent: Tue 1/10/2006 9:43 PM
To: pen-test@securityfocus.com
Subject: RE: Pre-Scanning for Marketing

Please allow me to clarify that I have NOT done anything like this, I am not
advocating it and have no plans to do so. I am aware that many prospects
would potentially view this negatively. I mentioned in my original post
that I understood this. Doing so could permanently impact someone's
reputation. So, let's all understand that we are speaking about a
hypothetical. I was interested to know if anyone had done so previously and
what the reaction was. Clearly, it appears that other than a few free
offers (I've made two of these in the past -- both with no response), this
type of approach seems to be so negatively viewed that nobody would even
attempt it.

However, doesn't anyone else view this as something of a dilemma? As a
group we are incapacitated from offering services to those who may need them
(unless we do so inefficiently) even though certainly vulnerabilities are
easily and efficiently identified. Unfortunately, the best analogy I can
come up with is ambulance chasing lawyers -- who seem to be hated, so we
probably don't want to follow their lead professionally. Has anyone
effectively resolved this dilemma in their practice? Possibly that is how I
should have phrased the original post.

Bob Weiss
Password Crackers, Inc.

-----Original Message-----
From: Clement Dupuis [mailto:cdupuis@cccure.org]
Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2006 8:19 PM
To: 'Password Crackers, Inc.'
Subject: RE: Pre-Scanning for Marketing

I would definitively say: DON'T

What right do you have to test my environment without me asking. What
differentiate you from any other cracker out there. You are just another
one of them as far as I am concerned.

Would you get any business this way? Probably some but very little and not
from the client your really wish to build a long term relationship with.
Thinks of the negative publicity and the fact that someone will take you to
court for attempting to intruder on their communication means.

Overall I would definitively NOT do it

Clement

-----Original Message-----
From: Password Crackers, Inc. [mailto:pwcrack@pwcrack.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2006 10:11 AM
To: pen-test@securityfocus.com
Subject: Pre-Scanning for Marketing

I am interested if anyone on the list has ever tested or implemented a
marketing program that involved pre-scanning (wired or wireless) a prospect
and then sending a letter or email describing potential vulnerabilities and
offering assistance in closing these vulnerabilities. I have never done
this because of the anticipated negative reaction, but I am curious as to
what the outcome was if anyone else has done it. Single instances would be
interesting, but I am more curious if anyone has implemented this in a more
broad-based way and has positive and/or negative response rate statistics.

Bob Weiss
Password Crackers, Inc.

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Hackers are concentrating their efforts on attacking applications on your 
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login pages, dynamic content etc. Firewalls, SSL and locked-down servers are 
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to SQL injection, Cross site scripting and other web attacks before hackers do! 
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