Google, Facebook, and now over 70 companies do grant tacit permission for anyone to test their systems, and will pay the researchers for a disclosure,
as long as they follow the program rules, which are usually quite reasonable. I'm serious when I say that few people are more thankful than myself for the existence of security bug bounties.
However, one thing has always crossed my mind: since the legal definition of authorization is still very fuzzy, what stops a third party from going after a researcher, even though the company who owns the server which was technically hacked has no interest in filing any complaint against the researcher?
To clarify my question, the recent Brazilian law regarding computer hacking establishes that only the owner of the hacked computer can file a complaint against the attacker, and legal proceedings can commence only after such a complaint has been filed. Does it work the same way in the U.S.? My understanding of american law is very weak, but I know that, for some crimes, the victim does not have a say, i.e. the state will prosecute regardless of the victim's will.
However, one thing has always crossed my mind: since the legal definition of authorization is still very fuzzy, what stops a third party from going after a researcher, even though the company who owns the server which was technically hacked has no interest in filing any complaint against the researcher?
To clarify my question, the recent Brazilian law regarding computer hacking establishes that only the owner of the hacked computer can file a complaint against the attacker, and legal proceedings can commence only after such a complaint has been filed. Does it work the same way in the U.S.? My understanding of american law is very weak, but I know that, for some crimes, the victim does not have a say, i.e. the state will prosecute regardless of the victim's will.