[attrition] mi2g: Welcome to the FUD Factory

[security curmudgeon]

http://www.infowarrior.org/articles/2004-12.html

mi2g: Welcome to the FUD Factory
Richard Forno / www.infowarrior.org
#2004-08
Copyright © 2004 by Author. Permission granted to reproduce with credit.

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Everyone's favorite FUD Factory -- "security intelligence" company mi2g -- 
is at it again.

This week, the firm posted a "news alert" sensationally entitled 'The rise 
of corporate hate sites - lies, damned lies and extortion'.  While the 
topic of "corporate hate sites" is an interesting and even relevant one 
for today's day and age, it appears that the true goal of this mi2g "news 
alert" was to attack security pundit Rob Rosenberger's website Vmyths.Com 
for his analysis and commentary about security-related companies, 
including mi2g. (For those unaware, Rob is one of the few pundits who 
calls things as he sees them, and that sometimes runs contrary to what 
companies want the public to know.)

It's pathetic, if not somewhat amusing, to see mi2g stooping to such 
desperate levels that it feels obligated to apply the "hate site" moniker 
to a website that disagrees with its corporate views....however, for a 
firm that thrives on the development, packaging, marketing, and sales of 
hysteria, misdirection, selective analysis, and the continuing propagation 
of Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt (FUD), this is simply business-as-usual. 
At least Rosenberger publicly cites his sources and cross-checks his 
facts.

For example, one glaring omission in this report is that while mi2g claims 
a growth in the number of "corporate hate sites" on the Internet, its 
report does not account for the explosive growth of websites of all sorts 
during that time (including, quite logically, "corporate hate sites")  -- 
meaning that mi2g's scary statistics on the this allegedly-new "digital 
risk" are valid only within the vacuum that they're presented.  Caveat 
reader!

You can read the report if you like, but I'll save you some time -- 
according to mi2g, the real enemy in cyberspace isn't hackers, it's people 
whose opinions you disagree with.

And that's quite evident when reading mi2g's statement: in its 14 
paragraphs, there are 6 dedicated to attacking and attempting to discredit 
Rosenberger and Vmyths while implicitly begging the public for sympathy. 
Six out of 14.  My proprietary BESPOAKE analysis shows that to be almost 
half of the entire document -- with that much attention, one would think 
mi2g wants to portray Rosenberger as the Fourth Horseman of the Internet.

As I wrote back in 2002, let's not forget that mi2g started off as an 
e-business enabler focused on operating portal sites (such as 
Carlounge.Com and Lawlounge.Com) under the corporate motto "Bringing The 
Web To The World." Suddenly, in 1999 with the digital apocalypse of Y2K 
looming ahead, the firm morphed into an internet security company that "by 
integrating state-of-the-art software engineering technology with super 
computing capability is revolutionising the world of eCommerce and for the 
first time maximising the return from the internet whilst minimising the 
risk."  From cars to cyberterrorism in only a few short years. PT Barnum 
would be proud. (Perhaps mi2g's new corporate motto should be "Bringing 
FUD to The World One News Release at a Time.")

Is mi2g so insecure with its public perception that it had to concoct and 
sensationally-hype an ominous-sounding "digital risk" in order to justify 
its attack on a respected website expressing an opinion and asking 
legitimate-but-still-unanswered questions about its services? You tell me 
-- but keep in mind this is the same "security intelligence" company now 
declaring that the greatest cyber-danger these days isn't hackers, 
technical vulnerabilities, exploitable software, or human complacency but 
rather independent thinking and holding companies accountable for their 
statements and services.

My sources tell me that mi2g soon will announce it has reason to believe 
that Saddam Hussein's missing WMD are stockpiled in Rosenberger's Texas 
basement because it rained in London today.  Damn that Rosenberger - is 
there anything he can't do?

mi2g's statement:
http://www.mi2g.com/cgi/mi2g/press/021204.php

More info on mi2g and its history:
http://www.infowarrior.org/articles/2002-12.html
http://vmyths.com/resource.cfm?id=64&page=1
http://www.attrition.org/errata/charlatan.html