Date: Thu, 22 Jun 2000 09:59:04 -0400
X-Loop: openpgp.net
From: Stanley Chow <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Find security hole, get sued
A story in the local paper (*Ottawa Citizen*) reports that an Edmonton
man found a way to win at slot machines. The report is typically weak
with details; this is my understanding of what happened:
- WMS Gaming Inc. is the manufacturer of video slot machines
- there are back door easter-eggs on (some) blackjack machines that
give you a win.
- According to company lawyer, this has cost millions of dollars
- Mr. Yaghi (an independent software consultant) found it somehow
- Mr. Yaghi told the gaming commission and the company
- company sues him for ten million dollars, and got court order to
search his house
The parallels with the French smartcard episode are striking. I must
reluctantly come to the conclusion:
Crime pays a lot better than honesty.
Can anyone familiar with slot machines tell me how could this get
through the QA process? Don't they do code-inspections?
Stanley Chow, Cloakware Corp, 260 Hearst way #311 Kanata, Ontario K2L 3H1
Canada VP Engineering (613) 271-9446 x 223 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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