have you heard the news "Gary McKinnon" an hacker geting 70 years in prison

samuelmp · 05-10-2006, 02:30 PM

Hi have you heard of "Gary McKinnon" who is a British man getting 70 years in prison for hacking in to nasa and US mittaly of defence!

what is you opinion of this

have a look at the video news on the BBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4758743.stm

and have alook of videos for more info

he was looking for UFO's apparently

I think the prison sentience is a long time for this and make's
it odvious

hacker or not

meng · 05-10-2006, 02:39 PM

Today was the first I heard of the story. He hasn't been sentenced yet, but extradition was approved. I have to say, though, his excuse sounds pretty implausible.

samuelmp · 05-10-2006, 02:47 PM

I think it is along time to sentance one man 70 years he will never
learn his lesson - why so long

69_rs_ss · 05-10-2006, 02:49 PM

He is not getting 70 years, trial hasn't even started yet. The article states If the harshest sentence is served on Mr McKinnon he could face up to 70 years in jail. so the most he can get will be 70 years. He needs to be extradited and then have his trial before a sentence will even be given.

meng · 05-10-2006, 02:52 PM

Yes sorry that I did not make that point so clearly.

Xolo · 05-10-2006, 03:42 PM

Know the story. I think they are being too harsh on McKinnon. Treating him like a nuclear warhead swinging terrorist isn't going to teach him, or other people, any lessons.
I don't approve of malicious hacking, the systems he entered were off limits, but he stated he did no damage. It wouldn't be logical to do damage, he was looking for something. You don't break something if you need it.
If the US gets their way, it's even possible for him to end up in Guantanamo Bay.
Either way it's not looking good at all.

mangku · 05-10-2006, 04:52 PM

I would be very supprised if McKinnon is tried in the UK. Blair is such a brownnose he will agree to extradition. Blair has more trouble on his plate at the moment than to worry about the rights of some hacker, even if he is a UK guy .

Vagrant · 05-10-2006, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mangku

I would be very supprised if McKinnon is tried in the UK. Blair is such a brownnose he will agree to extradition. Blair has more trouble on his plate at the moment than to worry about the rights of some hacker, even if he is a UK guy .

Well, Blair is nothing but a tool of U.S. Republican Party. Nevertheless, it wouldn't surprise me this guy got the harshest sentence. The U.S. is a country in which people get worse sentences for computer crimes than rape and murder.

meng · 05-10-2006, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xolo

Know the story. I think they are being too harsh on McKinnon. Treating him like a nuclear warhead swinging terrorist isn't going to teach him, or other people, any lessons.
I don't approve of malicious hacking, the systems he entered were off limits, but he stated he did no damage. It wouldn't be logical to do damage, he was looking for something. You don't break something if you need it.
If the US gets their way, it's even possible for him to end up in Guantanamo Bay.
Either way it's not looking good at all.

I haven't heard that he could end up at Guantanamo. Seeing as the Brits got their citizens out of Guantanamo, and the British A-G recently denounced Guantanamo, I would very much doubt that he could end up there (I believe he is a British citizen). Perhaps Xolo knows something I don't.

While I'm skeptical about the state of human rights in the USA at the moment, at least he will have a trial (unlike the 'enemy combatants'), and all indications are that this guy should have known better than to poke around in places he ought not have been.

Penguin of Wonder · 05-10-2006, 06:50 PM

To set things straight, he's a "cracker" not a "hacker." Hackers don't do illegal things with their computers.

Vagrant · 05-10-2006, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penguin of Wonder

To set things straight, he's a "cracker" not a "hacker." Hackers don't do illegal things with their computers.

Oh not this stupid pseudo-distinction again ... ahhhhhhhhhhhh no mas. no mas. Is a physicist no longer a physicist because he likes to make bombs?

Penguin of Wonder · 05-10-2006, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vagrant

Oh not this stupid pseudo-distinction again ... ahhhhhhhhhhhh no mas. no mas. Is a physicist no longer a physicist because he likes to make bombs?

No. He's an evil physicist.

Crito · 05-10-2006, 11:44 PM

They have to make an "example" out of him. The only way to keep crackers with half a brain out of sensitive government systems is to terrorize them into not attempting to enter in the first place.

He had free run on some of these systems for TWO YEARS! After 9/11 and the bazillions we've spent on security! That's the real crime.

Was there an investigation into the gross negligence that allowed this to happen? Did any two martini lunch political appointees get fired over it? Of course not, they've got some poor British patsy to hang for it instead.

The only thing this administration can teach the kids is how to stay drink 24/7 and still get an MBA from Harvard... or maybe how to get bombed on beer, shoot your hunting partner, and not even pay a fine for it... stupid drunks...

primo · 05-11-2006, 12:41 AM

These are the kinds of things that should only be in movies. We shouldn't do what the movie characters do. It's more interesting than reality. The blame is for the U.S. Navy for taking reality a little bit more seriously. Salvation is in Virtual Reality. Let's setup an imaginary world and drop a few bombs here and there.

samuelmp · 05-11-2006, 09:41 AM

have alook at this to guys

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4761985.stm

and this

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4757375.stm