Hack Attack is Whack says iPad Security Chief

[Michael Essany]

Escher Auernheimer, Goatse Security boss, is aiming to clear the air with a slightly ticked-off personal note addressing AT&T's suggestions that that his company is packed to the brim with "malicious" hackers.

Publicly embarrassed by its latest public relations meltdown, AT&T immediately went on the offensive after a security problem was exposed and thousands of iPad user email addresses were compromised. In a formal note emailed to 3G iPad owners, AT&T apologized for the breach and, to put it mildly, pointed a not-so-subtle finger at Goatse Security - you know, the company that exposed the problem to begin with. According to AT&T, “unauthorized computer ‘hackers’ maliciously exploited a function designed to make your iPad log-in process faster.”

Auernheimer - the head honcho of those unauthorized malicious hackers - says: "AT&T mailing so much of their subscriber base exposes a potential I have been suspicious of. They were likely not logging their httpd and had no idea how to verify the true scope of the disclosure, so they had to mail a huge number of customers." And, as many others concur today, "if not for our firm talking about the exploit to third parties who subsequently notified them, they would have never fixed it and it would likely be exploited by the RBN or the Chinese, or some other criminal organization or government.”

In exposing the problem, Auernheimer contends that his team did it as a "service to our nation." He doesn't find AT&T's response to the matter as honorable, arguing that not only should AT&T have known about the issue, but they should also have taken immediate and proactive steps to plug the leak, if you will, upon being informed of the problem.

“Given that, the number of parties which probably have active iPad exploits likely numbers in the hundreds, if not the thousands. The iPad simply is not a safe platform for those that require a secure environment,” he concluded.

Image via Goatse Security

[ownerofspam]

I wish I was the CEO of Goatse Security.

[tremerone]

Planet of the Gapes

[tgabriel123]

@ownerofspam I wish I was the CEO of anything...

[jacobthejokester]

I'm loving this more and more every week

[awesomeSlayer]

Oh (insert here)!

[mikef]

AT&T just sent me my email. It was very quaint, how sorry they were this would happen and all that jazz.

[n00neimp0rtant]

That is the most genius logo I have ever seen. Ambiguous to those with virgin eyes, hilarious to those familiar.

[TiffanyTrue]

That is the most genius logo I have ever seen. Ambiguous to those with virgin eyes, hilarious to those familiar.

I have never been amused by goatse and have always found the concept completely disgusting.

any company that would base their very public image on the concept is very suspect to me. Sure, their actions may have brought about a positive change but I highly doubt that those who idolize the worst of what the internet offers were so honorable in their intentions.

[itract]

............ohhhh