The Georgia Legislature recently passed a bill that could land security researchers in legal trouble, even if they're looking for vulnerabilities with no malicious intent.
Now the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is asking Georgia's governor to veto the legislation when it hits his desk.
Reports the EFF:
“Basically, if you’re looking for vulnerabilities in a non-destructive way, even if you’re ethically reporting them—especially if you’re ethically reporting them—suddenly you’re a criminal if this bill passes into law,” EF Georgia’s Scott Jones told us in February.
Andy Green, a lecturer in information security and assurance at Kennesaw State University concurred.
“I’m putting research on hold with college undergrad students because it may open them up to criminal penalties,” Green told the Parallax. “It’s definitely giving me pause right now.”
You can see complete coverage of the bill at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
No doubt this will be a topic of conversation at the upcoming SecureWorld Atlanta cybersecurity conference, happening May 30-31, 2018.