[Info-vax] The VSI Hobbyist program is Live!

[Bill Gunshannon]

On 7/29/20 1:59 PM, Simon Clubley wrote:
> On 2020-07-29, Bill Gunshannon <bill.gunshannon at gmail.com> wrote:
>> On 7/29/20 10:49 AM, Dave Froble wrote:
>>>
>>> Lacking imagination again Bill?
>>
>> No, I just have enough knowledge about how networking really works
>> to know there is no way in hell they could find a machine on my
>> home network, much less access it.  And, it's actually going to
>> get even harder when I dump Verizon DSL and start doing all of
>> my network management myself.
>>
> 
> They don't need to. There are various reverse connection options
> available where your firewall only ever sees outgoing connections
> from your devices.

Still needs to go thru the firewall.  Some people don't allow anything
implicitly to go thru.  And, any reverse connection requires action on
my part.

> 
> You are also missing the bit about where the licence requires you
> to give reasonable cooperation to VSI.

Reasonable has yet to be defined.  It could be as simple as them
asking me to periodically send them a log they had VMS generate. If
it's human readable I would not have a problem with  that.

> 
>>>
>>> Such products work by having your system go out to some server, and
>>> getting back replies.  It can be made to look as if something is coming
>>> in.  But it's all replies to something your system sends out.
>>
>> Exactly.  And how does VSI make my firewall pass a connection?
>>
> 
> Does your firewall block every single outgoing connection to ports 80
> and 443 (for example) unless you approve every single outgoing connection ?

No, but it can.  It wouldn't take Splunk long to flag this traffic.

> 
>>>
>>> I'd rather VSI did NOT use such tactics ....
>>>
>>
>> I doubt they will.  I think it was just more boilerplate.
>>
> 
> Until it's removed from the licence, it's legally valid boilerplate.

Of course it is.  But, if this bothers you I hope you aren't using 
anything from Microsoft.  Their licenses are much more disturbing.
And what about VmWare?  Try reading the license agreement for their
free products sometime (the whole thing, even after you get really
bored reading the silly stuff!!)

If they try to get into my systems and can't the worst they can do
is cancel my license.  I do not think that is likely.  I think people
are making a lot more out of this than is necessary.  If you don't
want to play the game leave their toys on the floor and go home.

bill

bill