Questions tagged [security]

This tag is for questions about protection of tangible and intangible property. For financial instruments use the [securities] tag instead.

This tag is for questions about protection of tangible and intangible property. For financial instruments use the tag instead.

74 questions
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Is it legal for Microsoft to install software without user approval?

On several occasions, Microsoft had misled their users to forcefully install updates or unwanted programs (like Windows 10 on Windows 7 here, here, here, and here), it also has forcefully installed the new Edge chromium web browser on W10 computers,…
Chico3001
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Is it legal to publish email that someone sent to me?

I'm not asking whether it is ethical - that would be a totally different question. I'm asking whether it is legal? In my book - in my way how I interpret consensual reality - once I press SEND button it is transmitted via email client, via email…
14
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3 answers

Has it been Legally Confirmed that A Website is not Liable if passwords stolen from it are used on other sites?

Security Experts the world around all agree that you should not reuse passwords across sites. This is simply a matter of best practice, and it protects you such that if your StackExchange password is stolen, they can't use that to access your bank…
Catachan
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May putting others at peril worsen the sentence?

Bob the Burglar specializes in fencing of stolen safety equipment (fire extinguishers, AEDs, etc.). One night, he breaks into a factory and steals the fire extinguishers and a fire hose. The theft is not immediately discovered. The next day, during…
PMF
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Is it illegal to download passwords in bulk from the dark web to make a password checking tool to help people?

I remember some password managers like Google's would give me a warning about passwords that have been compromised. My question is this. How is Google or any company able to see that the password I have chosen matches one that has been…
9
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4 answers

Is it legal to sell security vulnerabilities you found while working with a company to that company?

Suppose you were working at a company for a few years, and during your time there you found a few computer security vulnerabilities that could be used by potential attackers. If you were to compile them into a report, would it be legal to sell it to…
Blue Herring
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Can I distribute instructions on how to extract a private key?

I asked this question over on the reverse engineering Stack Exchange but was told to post it here instead, even though I felt the question didn't really fit here. To recap, I'm writing some (open source) software that talks to some hardware. The…
Grayda
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Does The Crown have the authority to restrict the rights of a Royal family member?

An issue that somehow got lost in the recent Meghan and Harry allegations is the claim that Meghan had to give up her driver's license and keys. The only reference to legality of this action I found was this article in which several Royal family…
Probably
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Can tech companies wishing to prevent secret backdoors discriminate in hiring against Australians?

Australia has passed a law which apparently requires tech workers to develop backdoors which can defeat a company's encryption and security features, without informing their employer, if ordered to do so (and it is now a crime if they refuse, or…
WBT
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Is it against law to implement security theaters?

In cybersecurity, we have a subject called "security theater" which means implementing a feature that only looks like a real security mechanism but doesn't do anything literally. Is it against the law for, let say, a company to implement a layer of…
4
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What legislation in the UK or EU requires online services and software companies to care about security of their products?

... And to what extent? E.g. what is the minimum an online service or software vendor are required to do to protect personal data? Let's not talk about PCI-DSS and payments here.
G33K
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Legality of secretly micro-chipping coins?

In the UK, we are less than a week away from the new £1 coin coming into circulation, which has been billed as 'the most high-tech coin in the world'. In an effort to reduce counterfeit, they have had a mysterious new technology integrated into…
3
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4 answers

What are the powers of a retail security guard compared to a police officer?

I watched a video about the legality of security guards doing random compulsory receipt and bag checks and it raised a question for me. So of course they can stop you in the act to prevent an imminent theft but the video never covered the exent of…
Ethan
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Can GDPR force public sector workers to fix an exploit they were notified of?

I live in some EU country and I rely on social security provided by the regional government. There is a website for residents who can sign up and claim benefits without physically visiting an office. While helping a friend sign up, I accidentally…
swq08570
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Search engine data breaches, osint

Such a search engine that is deliberately created for the purpose of collecting open source information about security related incidents including data breaches and including a link to the source that has a chance of containing the actual leaked…
J.G.
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