This just in – WabiSabiLabi may close its doors. Here are some tidbits:
"…In the end, security researchers
recognised the value of having an auction site like WabiSabiLabi, but
very few buyers proved willing to use the site, said Roberto Preatoni,
an Italian security consultant and WabiSabiLabi's director of strategy.
"It didn't work very well. The marketplace was too far ahead of its
time," he said, adding that a final decision on the fate of the
marketplace has yet to be reached."
A little over a year ago, as WabiSabiLabi was getting going, I made some predictions:
- No more than 100 vulnerabilities will have successfully been auctioned off at the website by the end of the year;
- Maybe 30-40 people will have participated in the auctions;
- The site will essentially go dormant or cease to exist by the end of 2008.
- If it doesn't go dormant, it will face at least one legal challenge by the end of 2009.
I just visited the site and the only thing I can see is 34 vulnerabilities in the "marketplace history" section (and nothing active). I can't really tell whether this is a complete set of all vulnerabilities offered, though my guess is that it isn't. Can anyone clarify?
Also, does anyone have an alternate explanation for WSL's pending demise other than it being "ahead of its time"?