[HN Gopher] Belgium launches nationwide safe harbor for ethical ...
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       Belgium launches nationwide safe harbor for ethical hackers
        
       Author : raphinou
       Score  : 142 points
       Date   : 2023-03-03 14:59 UTC (8 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (portswigger.net)
 (TXT) w3m dump (portswigger.net)
        
       | papruapap wrote:
       | I guess this only applies if they pentest a belgian institution?
       | Otherwise that would be prosecute right after the leave the
       | country
        
         | wongarsu wrote:
         | Basically yes. "any systems, networks, or applications located
         | in Belgium".
         | 
         | Of course you might still be prosecuted outside Belgium, e.g.
         | if you pentest an Oracle setup in Belgium, and Oracle takes
         | issue and files charges against you in the US. But that is less
         | likely to happen or succeed.
        
           | [deleted]
        
       | Retr0id wrote:
       | > Do not publicly disclose information about the vulnerability
       | and vulnerable systems without the CCB's consent
       | 
       | This one would be a sticking point for me, personally. When
       | disclosing vulns, I am extremely reluctant to relinquish control
       | over who I tell and when. I wonder if participation in this
       | mechanism could increase one's overall liability.
        
         | tptacek wrote:
         | You presumably retain the ability to control disclosure about
         | vulnerability research you conduct against authorized targets;
         | the most common class of authorized targets is "software you
         | run yourself, in settings where vulnerabilities don't involve
         | talking to other people's computers/servers".
         | 
         | Where people get into trouble is when they authorize themselves
         | to conduct research against other people's computers. If you
         | want firm control over the disclosure of your vulnerabilities,
         | find other people's computers that authorize testing, or test
         | your own computers.
        
         | sva_ wrote:
         | This makes it sound like they're fishing for some zero-days.
        
           | jraph wrote:
           | I don't think so, they require you to also tell the author as
           | soon as possible, if not before.
           | 
           | I'd think notifying them as soon as possible and asking them
           | for permission for publicly disclosing would let them protect
           | you more efficiently.
        
           | tptacek wrote:
           | If they wanted zero days they would just buy them, like
           | everybody else does.
        
       | 1024core wrote:
       | Maybe they can invite Snowden over then?
        
         | tptacek wrote:
         | Snowden isn't in legal trouble over vulnerability research.
        
         | ChuckNorris89 wrote:
         | Ah yes, Snowden going to Belgium, headquarters of NATO. Surely
         | he'll be safe there from the US reach and not get deported. /s
        
         | wongarsu wrote:
         | It would be a nice guesture. I'm not sure how he would get
         | there safely though. Planes have a nasty habbit of being forced
         | to land somewhere on route in these situations.
        
           | elif wrote:
           | As long as he can get into the Schengen region, he can get to
           | Belgium in a van without any paper trail.
           | 
           | I'm not advocating illegally entering any eastern EU
           | countries, nor suggesting that it is easy, but from a physics
           | standpoint it doesn't occur to me as exceptionally
           | impractical for a determined and resourceful actor with
           | international support, considering the mountainous terrain of
           | Hungary, Estonia, Latvia, etc.
        
       | PedroBatista wrote:
       | [flagged]
        
       | NicoJuicy wrote:
       | Who would use it/move to there?
       | 
       | Considering taxes in Belgium are the highest in Europe and almost
       | the highest in the world.
        
         | elric wrote:
         | Are tax rates the most important factor for relocating to
         | somewhere? Might want to look at what you get in return for
         | those taxes.
        
           | NicoJuicy wrote:
           | Weather ain't great either.
           | 
           | You're getting a lot back if you're unemployed and actual
           | Belgian though.
           | 
           | Some people aren't even working because the difference
           | between working and not, is too low.
           | 
           | And if you're ill, you don't have to worry about finance
           | too...
           | 
           | That's it
        
             | WirelessGigabit wrote:
             | It's even worse. At minimum wage, the cost of commuting and
             | daycare are more than the diff of work and unemployment.
             | 
             | So what's enticing those people to go back to work if it
             | literally costs them money?
             | 
             | And I don't mean to say that unemployment must go down. On
             | the contrary, at minimum, it must be beneficial to go to
             | work. So minimum wage must go up.
             | 
             | Problem is that then unemployment will go up too, as that
             | is tied to minimum wage.
        
               | NicoJuicy wrote:
               | Unemployment benefits shouldn't be unlimited in time.
               | 
               | For the rest, i agree.
        
         | tverbeure wrote:
         | It's only high for regular income. Belgium does not have a
         | capital gains tax. If you start a company, it does well, and
         | you sell it, you pay zero taxes.
         | 
         | Similarly, when you receive stock options after joining a
         | company, you get taxed immediately, but you don't pay taxes
         | when you exercise them. That's really backwards when you join
         | an established company (because you'll pay taxes on something
         | that might actually be worth nothing), but it's fantastic when
         | you receive stock options in an early stage startup, with
         | options that are worth pennies.
        
           | NicoJuicy wrote:
           | > It's only high for regular income
           | 
           | That's almost everyone? :P
           | 
           | ---
           | 
           | Ethical hackers aren't companies that will sell their company
           | here.
           | 
           | I don't know any company who gives stock options here, it's
           | not a thing.
           | 
           | Dividends gets taxed at 30%.
           | 
           | If you get a bonus from work for delivering, taxes are
           | normally so high that the bonus looks low.
           | 
           | What you're saying is basically: it's great when you're rich.
        
       | frank_bb wrote:
       | [dead]
        
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       (page generated 2023-03-03 23:02 UTC)