Military Hacker Wins Right to Appeal Against US Extradition

[Scorched_Cascade]

£10 or whatever that is in US dollars says this guy ends up doing a few years of jail until the media intrest dies down and then mysteriously disappears either:
option a) to be recruited by some acronym narcs
option b) to a nice quiet grave somewhere noone will ever find him

 

[shadow_pirate22]

Finally, someone fights against the government cover up of UFOs!

 

[CanadianWolverine]

I can't believe that people aren't talking about what he actually found in there. He claims to have found evidence of a massive cover-up by the American government and yet people aren't linking that with the fact that the U.S.A is pursuing him so voraciously.

This. I am really curious as to what he found there. I would really like to know if he found anything on the Unidentified Flying Objects phenomenon.

And "damages"? Is that really a appropriate word when it comes to digital information? Unless there is physical damage the hardware storing that information or instructions given to a friggin robotic arm that damages something else, most "damage" in the digital realm is reversible. Also, why is supposedly "secure" systems even accessible from outside that country? The only damages I am being impressed upon by not just this article but by comments posted here is to national pride and egg on the IT security forces for not closing their back door to a peeping tom.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

...But what if he had done more damage, regardless of intent?

I mean, he was messing with the American government.
I don't know about other people, but I'm shocked that people aren't taking this as an affront to America itself.

Possibly America needs it. If they can't keep Pentagon records safe, how the hell are they going to protect the rights of the individual?

 

[Jumplion]

Finally, someone fights against the government cover up of UFOs!

To quote "Monsters Vs. Aliens"

"It seems an Unidentified Flying Object has landed in America. The only country UFO's seem to ever land on..."

 

[CanadianWolverine]

how is that sensible? That's like having someone rob your store with a gun, and the theif saying "Oh, I got the gun past the metal detector, you should thank me now that you know that and can get that fixed."

It's more like robbing a store with a gun, but instead of taking anything you look at the milk to see if any of it comes from rats. Sure you give a hell of a scare to the owner, but you don't actually rob him.

I think my analogy is better.

It's like you should be thanking the theif for pointing out a security flaw while he's pointing a gun at your head. Then the theif finds out that what he's looking for isn't there, and leaves. He still broke in, knowing fully well that what he was doing was illegal.

And even if I take your analogy, is the store owner going to care if you took anything or not? He pointed a gun at his head, he could have caused some serious trouble, and he was doing something illegal. That can't be excused by saying "Oh, thank you for pointing out that flaw in my metal detector".

But I'm not saying that 5-7 years is too little, I'm just surprised that people are saying that the US should thank someone who could have destroyed the whole computer system.

Ridiculous and more ridiculous. At what point does this hacker threaten anyone with bodily harm, possibly resulting in death? And I would very much dispute any accusation that looking for information on networks, intra or inter, could actually destroy a whole computer system. Such ridiculous hyperbole, go soothe your hurt pride else where.

 

[Erana]

...But what if he had done more damage, regardless of intent?

I mean, he was messing with the American government.
I don't know about other people, but I'm shocked that people aren't taking this as an affront to America itself.

Possibly America needs it. If they can't keep Pentagon records safe, how the hell are they going to protect the rights of the individual?

True, but it seems like the wrong way to go about doing it.
I dunno, patriot in me just feels a little violated.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

...But what if he had done more damage, regardless of intent?

I mean, he was messing with the American government.
I don't know about other people, but I'm shocked that people aren't taking this as an affront to America itself.

Possibly America needs it. If they can't keep Pentagon records safe, how the hell are they going to protect the rights of the individual?

True, but it seems like the wrong way to go about doing it.
I dunno, patriot in me just feels a little violated.

It gets you back for Dick van Dyke's accent in Mary Poppins

 

[CanadianWolverine]

Finally, someone fights against the government cover up of UFOs!

To quote "Monsters Vs. Aliens"

"It seems an Unidentified Flying Object has landed in America. The only country UFO's seem to ever land on..."

Plainly you have never read anything like Beyond Top Secret by Timothy Good, let alone done a silly google search that shows recorded sightings of various objects from all over our planet. The phenomenon does occur in the other countries air space and has been met with serious investigations in the past - most of the time, it behooves other nations to investigate because they suspect that someone is flying a new experimental plane or some such and don't particularly like intrusions into their air space that they haven't identified. Surely, the US especially can respect a flying object not identifying itself when flying within the area they are supposed to defend as a serious threat.

 

[Skrapt]

I don't understand Asperger's? I have been diagnosed as having Aspergers.
Telling an officer you understand that murder is against the alw will not stop them from arresting you for killing a man. Admitting to speeding only gets you out of a ticket with really nice cops.
ADMITTING WHAT YO DID WAS WRONG IS NO PENANCE FOR DOING IT.

I'm not saying it is, I still think he should be punished, just not to the degree that the US wants.

 

[blindey]

I think the lawyer is trying to blow Aspergers out of proportion to make it seem as tough he's mentally unstable. He's not, he knew exactly what he was doing, he caused some massive damage.
I don't give a rats ass what his intent was, this was an attack. Hacking a government network and damage it, you are attacking. Screw that he was looking for "UFOs", that's just what he says he was looking for. There is no way to tell what he learned in there and what deals he's willing to make now. That was an attack, and he needs to be behind bars for quite some time.

Do you understand Asperger's then? Evidently not, although Asperger's isn't as bad as Autism can be it shows some of the basic underpinnings, namely not being able to differentiate between right and wrong easily[/b] and poor social skills (usually in the form of not being able to read body language). So how do you know that he knew what he was doing was wrong? He broke the law and should face charges for that, but the difference in sentences he'd receive in the UK and US mean that he really shouldn't be extradited - especially since he's made an obvious effort to make up for his crimes (by telling the US exactly how he did it and allowing them to fix their lax security - which is proba bly where the costs were incurred). He knows what he did was wrong and wouldn't do it again

It doesn't matter that what he did amounts to unofficial pen testing (as some people reason it out to be), because you know he BROKE INTO a highly sensitive government computer network containing possibly classified data. Who knows what he could've found out and what he knows? Besides that, there's no "but seriously I just was doing pen testing to yer network (or substitute looking for information)

As far as Asberger's Syndrome defense...it's rather bullshitty. Yes Asberger's (AS from here on out) is under the autism spectrum but it is different than the general in its nuances. The gist is 3 things: reduced social learning (body language / gestures, idioms, etc.), in fact they're not very quiet people, they're pretty extroverted talking about whatever intense interest (2nd) they might have, not noticing or seeing the other person's emotions such as if it doesn't interest them, are bored with it, etc.

So in summary: I don't care that he has AS. The "robbing a story" analogy is prety valid imo. The fact is that he broke the law, and knew what he was doing.

 

[Aardvark Soup]

Well, this is what happens when you take stupid conspiracy theories too seriously...

 

[Unknower]

Well, it's better that this guy pointed a security flaw than a Chinese/Russian hacker. Who probably wouldn't have been looking just for UFOs.

Punishment... let's say a few years.

...But what if he had done more damage, regardless of intent?

I mean, he was messing with the American government.
I don't know about other people, but I'm shocked that people aren't taking this as an affront to America itself.

This is clear and present danger to America and to everything US stands for. He's an enemy of freedom!

Tooooo the Guantanamo! Prepare the torture chambers!

 

[Erana]

Well, it's better that this guy pointed a security flaw than a Chinese/Russian hacker. Who probably wouldn't have been looking just for UFOs.

Punishment... let's say a few years.

...But what if he had done more damage, regardless of intent?

I mean, he was messing with the American government.
I don't know about other people, but I'm shocked that people aren't taking this as an affront to America itself.

This is clear and present danger to America and to everything US stands for. He's an enemy of freedom!

Tooooo the Guantanamo! Prepare the torture chambers!

I meant that I wasn't all up in arms about it, but I'm shocked that some of those extremists aren't petetioning for a harsher sentence.

 

[bad rider]

Disreguard

 

[AceDiamond]

The thing that made me laugh is that even someone with a mental problem can hack the US security systems.

Aspberger's doesn't mean you aren't smart.

Just like not having a mental disorder doesn't mean you are.

 

[bad rider]

The thing that made me laugh is that even someone with a mental problem can hack the US security systems.

Aspberger's doesn't mean you aren't smart.

Just like not having a mental disorder doesn't mean you are.

I didn't say he wasnt smart just that he had a mental problem, admittedly i should have said mental disorder which autism actually is. However it was more a off the cusp remark.