ALL SOFTWARE, Including Free, GNU, commercial, Open Source and all have NO WARRANTIES 
liscencies except some very rare and special cases.
You'll not be able to suit anybody.
That's my point.
Absolutely yours

Ivan Hernandez

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  .~.    
  /V\     Free science and free software are just two aspects
 // \\    of the same complex reality: long-term human survival.  
/(   )\   Support humankind--use LINUX.
 ^^-^^   
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-----Original Message-----
From: Edward L. Jones [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] 
Sent: Monday, January 28, 2002 1:38 PM
To: Hall Duane; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: RE: Legal problem - IDS - Commercial Vs Open Source.


I have a BS in criminal justice Pre-Law and a masters in 
Information System Science and I have never heard of a company 
suing a IDS vendor because of the software not catching the 
break in your company would definitely set a "Precedence" and I 
am curious to see what the outcome would be if your company 
actually went to court with this.  I would agree with your 
reply to the answer as being NO

But here are a few points you should propose to your management.
1) Was the problem really that of the software or was it a 
human error in overlooking the incidents leading up to the 
intrusion such as the recon phase and finally failure to detect 
the actual intrusion?

2) In the purchase order, contract or agreement to buy the 
software does it anywhere explicitly say that there IDS product 
protects you from all known and/or unknown attacks?

3) Finally does your company really think another vendor will 
help them if word gets out in the industry that you guys sue 
for this type of stuff?


E.L. Jones
Network Security Engineer



-----Original Message-----
From: Hall, Duane [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Monday, January 28, 2002 8:09 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Legal problem - IDS - Commercial Vs Open Source.


I have been a lurker to this mail-list for quite a while, so 
here it goes.  I have come across an issue asked by management 
about IDS products.  They are asking about the legality issues.

For instance:

If we have a breaking and are using a commercial IDS product 
and the IDS software doesn't catch it, do you have any legal 
recourse against the commercial product vendor? Can you sue 
them for not catching the intrusion.  My thinking is NO. I'm 
sure the software license agreement takes care of this.

The same is asked if we decide to use an open source product, 
like Snort.  I have said the same.

I tried to give an example, for instance Microsoft.  If some 
one breaks into a Windows server, no one but the administrator 
is responsible. You can't sue Microsoft, because you didn't 
apply a patch or weren't watching the server.

Does anyone have any articles or case studies to support my 
thinking.? Any help would be appreciated.

Duane Hall

**************************
Duane Hall
Security Administrator
Hastings Entertainment, Inc.
806-351-2300 X-3945
[EMAIL PROTECTED]

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