RSSUK Hacker Loses Extradition Fight
By Ed Oswald | Published April 3, 2007, 11:28 AM
The British hacker accused of hacking into US military computers has lost his fight against extradition, and stands to face fines up to $1.75 million and a 70-year jail term when he is tried.
Gary McKinnon, known by the hacker handle "Solo," does have one last appeal left with the highest court in the UK, the House of Lords. However, after Tuesday's ruling, it appears his time is running out.
According to the US government, the Polish-born McKinnon caused $700,000 worth of damage and rendered critical systems inoperable at Earle Naval Weapons Station in northern New Jersey shortly after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
The Justice Department claimed it took nearly a month to return the servers to operation following McKinnon's actions.
An order to extradite him was signed in July of last year by England's Interior Minister, but McKinnon's lawyers appealed the ruling with the courts. They argued that the extradition should be prevented because the action was "for the purpose of prosecuting him on account of his nationality or political opinions."
The two judges assigned to the case saw it in a different light, however, and ruled that his conduct was indeed intentional and meant to "influence and affect the US government by intimidation and coercion."
They also said he intended to render the computers inoperable as part of his plans.
Following the announcement of the decision, McKinnon's lawyers immediately went on the offensive. Solicitor Jeffrey Anderson told the BBC that issues surrounding the conduct of US law enforcement would be raised at the appeal.
According to Anderson, a New Jersey prosecutor said McKinnon "would fry," a reference to being put to death by electric chair, he claimed.
In this internet age, it is upto the user to be secure enough. Like "Caveat Emptor" its "Let the User Beware".
As he says that there were empty passwords and inadequate firewalls. Then who is to be blamed?
Will the people who have not set the passwords properly or configured firewall improperly get a similar jail term and hefty fines?
They are the main reason for this security breach.
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|Next time you see an unlocked car hop right in and go for a ride. Then tell the judge "But your honor, the car was unlocked so it's the owners fault not mine!"
Please...
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|He knew it was illegal when he did it so he should just shut up and face the consequences. As the saying goes "If you can't do the time, don't do the crime". He is unlikely to face the death penalty! Why should the UK government protect him when he blatantly did the crime...
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|Do you honestly think up to $1.75 million in fines, and a possible 70-year jail term, is any kind of justice? You get less here for murdering someone.
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|You are correct up to a point, but he did not know that he could face 70 years in prison. In the UK the maximum he could get is apparently 5 to 7 years. That doesn't excuse his crime but America believes the crime is far more serious than Britain does.
The British Government is NOT protecting him. The extradition treaty leaves no way for the British government to protect him by default. That's why it's going to The House Of Lords.
Surely the US military has some questions to answer for leaving systems vital to national security so poorly protected. Aren't they going to punish those idiots too?
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|They should be asking him to work for them instead of the fines/prison sentence. He proved how worryingly weak their security is, and it needs to be sorted. They waste more effort trying to extradite someone, fine and stick them in prison, than fix their own security problems. How ridiculous.
And where is the British government to try and defend this man? They would rather he was extradited, lose the case, and put to death? I'm sickened.
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|Yes, that's all they need is someone working for them like this. Oh and what is all this death penalty crap? He isn't going to be put to death people, that's retarded. The prosecutor was stupid for using the term fry but it was just an expression.
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|Gary McKinnon gave an interview to BBC Radio 4 yesterday, in which he admitted being a hacker, but said he was researching UFOs, not trying to mess up US security. That's debatable. Interestingly, he also pointed out that hacking into US military systems was very easy because often they had blank passwords and no firewalls. Yes, the hacker was stupid, but not having even basic security on such vital systems was really dumb.
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|I love that defense, that he just showed them how weak their security was. Yeah that excuses him. I think I'll break into someone's house and then try to get off because I showed them how stupid they were for not having a better security system.
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|I wasn't defending him. He did wrong and should face prosecution. Hacking is wrong. I don't think he should be let off because he exposed embarrassing security flaws.
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|American Gov should be ashamed to threat so a man that made nothing except revealing how lamers they are...
LONG LIFE TO GARY
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|Long Life in the Slammer While Servicing Bubba & his Pals....well, Long Life as long as he demonstrates domestic & carnal skills...otherwise they'll shank him silly for being useless.
Then again, maybe he can expand into carding for them...
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