PWC threatens to sue security firm for disclosing embarrassing, dangerous defects in its software

[doctorow]

Originally published at: http://boingboing.net/2016/12/13/pwc-threatens-to-sue-security.html

…

[anon26304152]

@doctorow

ESNC did not receive authorized access or a license to use this software. The software is not publicly available and was only properly accessed by those with licenses, such as PwC clients working with trained PwC staff," said the spokesperson.

I’m so happy that black hats will only attack using the software they were properly licensed to use.

[cameronh1403]

Thank God/Dog/Cthulhu/FSM that we don’t have to fix the issues! We can just sue to shut people up!

[jan_ciger]

I think that what PWC are trying to get at (not said in the article) is that if researchers were a licensed “partner”, they would have been prohibited from doing any security research and/or publishing anything by their license. Such “gag orders” are commonplace in enterprise software. And since they aren’t licensed, they obviously had to steal it and thus have no right to dig in it or publish anything neither.

It is pretty typical reaction of a big company - whenever something potentially damaging to the brand surfaces, the first thing to do is to send lawyers and then perform “PR management”. Fixing the actual problem would actually cost money and show that the overpriced product is buggy, so it is not done or only as the last option.

Disgusting

[cameronh1403]

Don’t forget if you are affected by the bug in the software, the company can then claim it’s not their fault and get out of it.

Late stage fucking capitalism indeed.

[anon55609254]

And of course forced arbitration will prevent any kind of justice.

[Sludge]

@doctorow

“ESNC did not receive authorized access or a license to use this software. The software is not publicly available and was only properly accessed by those with licenses, such as PwC clients working with trained PwC staff,” said the spokesperson.

Way to shine the turd! Looking forward to the Academy Awards leak.

[rhizome]

So it’s nothing more than a license violation at worst, but yeah, I bet their EULA prohibits security research and a host of other beneficial-to-the-public activities. This would likely come up in court.