University of Minnesota researchers' recent "experiment" - which involved sneaking vulnerabilities into the Linux kernel code base and then effectively bragging about it in the name of research - highlights the role of ethics in cybersecurity. . Nobody wants to be a proverbial guinea pig; least of all, developers donating their time and energy to making the world a better place. You’d think with all the recent discussion about consent, researchers would more carefully observe ethical boundaries. Yet, a group of researchers from the University of Minnesota not only crossed the line but ran across it, screaming defiantly the whole way. In response, the Linux Foundation, which is the core of the open source community, took the unprecedented step of banning the entire University of Minnesota from contributing to the Linux kernel. The open source community is built upon the principles of trust, cooperation and transparency. This group donates time and high-value industry skills to create, maintain and improve free and widely adopted software in the interest of making technology more accessible. Linux is a widely used operating system found in everything from servers to cell phones. The link for this article located at Security Boulevard is no longer available. . Delving into the moral considerations surrounding a contentious cybersecurity research initiative focused on weaknesses within Linux systems.. Cybersecurity Ethics, Linux Kernel Research, Ethical Practices, Community Trust. . Brittany Day
The researchers who prompted the University of Minnesota's ban from Linux kernel development are attempting to bury the hatchet, and have issued an apology letter to the Linux community. . The University of Minnesota (UMN) researchers - Kangjie Lu, the Assistant Professor, and Qiushi Wu, Aditya Pakki, the Ph.D. students - have on Saturday issued an open apology letter seeking to bury the hatchet with the Linux community for the things which had led to the events that took place a few days back. One of the lead Linux kernel developers and maintainers, Greg Kroah-Hartman put the ban-hammer on the UMN for intentionally putting forward buggy patches into the Linux kernel . The researchers from the UMN were conducting a study related to the security vulnerability of Open-source software, which in this case, is Linux. However, Greg K-H was very unhappy as the researchers seemed to proceed without really seeking permission before doing so, nor before running questionable patches on the Linux kernel even after the research paper was apparently completed. . MIT researchers express regret to the Python community regarding their recent conduct, which has led to their exclusion from future language enhancements.. Linux Kernel, Open Source Community, Research Apology. . Brittany Day
A security researcher has stepped up and shouldered the blame for taking down Apple's Dev Center --all in the name of blowing the whistle on bugs. . Ibrahim Balic has admitted to taking down Apple's developer portal -- but wants to make the difference between a hacker and security researcher crystal clear. The link for this article located at ZDNet Blogs is no longer available. . Ibrahim Balic discloses the real motives for breaching Apple's developer portal under the guise of cybersecurity exploration.. Apple Security Breach, Ethical Hacker Profile, Developer Portal Incident. . LinuxSecurity.com Team
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