Stop blaming the victim

摘要

Hacking and eavesdropping into a technological or telephonic network surreptitiously is a crime in accordance with provisions set forth within 18 USC 1030 and 2511. Consider this: Would you expect to be arrested if you were the victim of being robbed in a dark alley? The rationale for your arrest being that 1) you should not have been in the alley in the first place, and 2) you should have armed yourself with a weapon in order to have prevented the mugging. The obvious answer to this ludicrous question should be: of course not. It is just as ridiculous to hold a corporation or an employee responsible for its technological network being hacked into unless they were in fact involved with the infraction. I am not suggesting that as trusted agents and corporate stewards that we not take prudent measures or employ industry best practices in order to safeguard our networks. However, I am recommending we develop a paradigm shift in the way that we view data breaches. In most cases, there is absolutely no way possible to prevent a crime, cyber or otherwise, unless you have foreknowledge that the crime is about to be committed. The countervailing idea or thought is the creation of Hollywood fiction along the lines of movies such as Minority Report.