British authorities distance themselves from controversial poster about Kali Linux and other software

British authorities take distance from controversial poster

The UK National Crime Agency (NCA) went out to publicly announce that it has nothing to do with with a misleading sign designed to frighten parents and urge them to call the police if your kids are using Kali Linux and other software tools

The poster, made public by Twitter user @G_IW, was distributed by local authorities on behalf of the West Midlands Regional Organized Crime Unit (WMROCU). For some reason the NCA was also included as endorsing it.

The screenshot of Twitter reads

What's on the children's computer?
Gate: Browser used to access the dark web.
Virtal machine: It allows to hide operating systems that are not usually found in computers, such as Kali Linux.
Kali Linux: It is an operating system often used for hacking.
Pineapple WiFi: It is a small kit that can be used to obtain sensitive data from the Internet.
Discord: It is a popular communication platform often used to share hacking tricks.
metasploit: It is a software tool that makes hacking easier.

If you see any of them on your computer, or have a child who thinks they are hacking, let us know so we can advise them and steer them towards positive fun.

The British authorities are distancing themselves or not?

Given the amount of negative comments received, the National Crime Agency came out to clarify that it had nothing to do with your printing or distribution. Anyway, he stated:

There are many tools that tech-savvy children use, some of which can be used for both legal and illegal purposes, so it is vital that parents and children know how these tools can be used safely.

For their part, the West Midland police contributed to the general confusion:

The poster, produced by a third party, was created as a memorial aid to help teachers with protection in schools. It was taken from a broader information on cyber tools that could be used to commit cyberattacks, but that also have a legitimate purpose.

The aforementioned software is legal and, in the vast majority of cases, it is used legitimately, which is of great benefit to those interested in developing their digital knowledge. However, as with any software, it can also be misused by those with less legitimate intentions. The purpose of this poster was to provide a quick reference guide to the range of software available, so that those with parental responsibility for children and young people can start a conversation about the safe and legal use of computers and technology.

From Kali Linux they took it with humor. On Twitter they wrote:

We have to admit that it is good that they give the children a roadmap to get started. We all know that the easiest way to get a child to do something is to tell him he can't or shouldn't, and then give him a list of what not to do. The bad thing is that they did not link to https://kali.training

With a little more seriousness, a spokesperson for the organization behind Kali LInux commented to ZDNET:

I think the whole situation reminds me of the generational scares that happen with rock music, video games and so on. Hopefully no parent takes it seriously and feels like they have to call the police for their own kids if they find them using Kali or chatting with others on Discord as that's pretty ridiculous.

These are all incredible opportunities for parents to engage with their children, find common interests, and spend time together while helping the child learn skills that will help them later in life.

If you don't understand something your child is up to, instead of freaking out about it, ask the child and learn from him. Ultimately, none of this topic has to do with Kali or any of the other tools mentioned on the poster, but rather has to do with how to be a good engaged parent and some people's misunderstanding of what that means.

With your permission, I am going to go further and invoke Godwin's law. That of invite to call the authorities if someone uses or does something, it reminds me of documentaries on the communication strategies of the Nazis. The a the advertisements issued by the last Argentine dictatorship thatwhich I had the opportunity to see in real time as a child.

Of course, I am referring to things not classified in the penal code.


2 comments, leave yours

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked with *

*

*

  1. Responsible for the data: AB Internet Networks 2008 SL
  2. Purpose of the data: Control SPAM, comment management.
  3. Legitimation: Your consent
  4. Communication of the data: The data will not be communicated to third parties except by legal obligation.
  5. Data storage: Database hosted by Occentus Networks (EU)
  6. Rights: At any time you can limit, recover and delete your information.

  1.   JBL said

    From the creators of ... free software belongs to communists and Linux is a cancer comes: «Report your son if he uses Kali ... he is a terrorist».

  2.   qtrit said

    Remember that everything written here can be taken against you. Be aware of what you publish on the networks.