Reformation of the Bureau, Patriot Act, Supreme Court decisions and You! (675 hits)
Category: Computers & InternetRating: 0.5 on 9 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by E H (View user info) at 2003-09-15 03:28:43 EDT
Another one got caught today; it's all over the papers. "Teenager Arrested in Computer Crime Scandal", "Hacker Arrested after Bank Tampering"... Damn kids. They're all alike. But did you, in your three- piece psychology and 1950's techno brain, ever take a look behind the eyes of the hacker? Did you ever wonder what made him tick, what forces shaped him, what may have molded him? I am a hacker, enter my world...
Since the tragedies of September the 11th the federal bureau of investigation have re sorted their priorities. With the leak's and faults of securities in our nations domestic security infrastructure, the following three categories of criminal activities have made the top of the list.
1. Protect the United States from terrorist attack
2. Protect the United States against foreign intelligence operations and espionage
3. Protect the United States against cyber-based attacks and high-technology crimes
Hackers are priority number three, ranked just below then terrorist's, and spy's. However, the government uses a braud definition of the term hacker. They use a definition of the word that was created in the late 1980's by the media. This definition of hacker encompasses all computer based crimes, into one term instead of using the respective terms ie: Phreak, hacker, cracker et cetera.
Lately We have seen quite a few folks being arrested for computer related crimes, whether it be identity theft, creation of a virus or whatever the case may be. I must say it's good to see that our government agencies are doing their job's and bringing justice at a fast pace...
Sept. 9 — Adrian Lamo, the so-called homeless hacker, surrendered Tuesday to face two federal criminal charges of electronic breaking and entering.
BUCHAREST, Sept. 10 — A 24-year-old Romanian man, accused of unleashing an Internet worm called ''Blaster.F,'' has been charged with cybercrime offences carrying up to 15 years in prison, police said on Wednesday.
LONDON, Sept. 10 — Police said on Wednesday they had charged two British men believed to be members of an international hacking ring with using a computer programme to assume control of unsuspecting computer users' machines.
Sep 3 - last week, the 18-year-old from Hopkins, Minn., was arrested for distributing a Blaster variant
With all these arrest's made in recent weeks will come court appearances, bail bonds, arrangement's and more court appearances. With a conviction of guilty will come a prison sentence? This is where my frustration lies, Its the punishments for my fellow hackers. I ask you this, If you mother, or daughter, sister, or girlfriend were to be raped, and on the same day your computer was given a virus, or important information was stolen from your company... Which would you expect to receive the harsher punishment? Don't get me wrong, I love my computers and I don't know what I would do with out them, but when it comes to my wife... I expect the S.O.B that hurt her to suffer painfully. Apparently the government, and Supreme Court do not see it the same way. For spreading a virus that infects even a few computers you can receive a punishment of up to 15 years in jail. If you Rape a woman, you can expect to server 5 years, or 3 years with good behavior. So, what kind of message is being put forth here? Is it viewed as more acceptable to rape a woman, causing severe damage to the emotional, psychological, and physical state of the woman? Please share your opinions on this one!
User Reviews
Submitted by virgil (user info) at 2003-09-15 13:41:00 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
(as itchy said, though I didn't read it first... it makes sense though, doesn't it.)
Submitted by virgil (user info) at 2003-09-15 13:39:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
The reason that some computer crimes carry a harsher penalty than, say, rape (although computer criminals probably will get released on parole quicker) is that when someone rapes someone else, they hurt that person and perhaps a limited number of other people (family, etc). When some piece of shit releases a worm that screws up hundreds or thousands of servers, they affect hundreds of thousands of people, and cause damages in the millions or billions.
Screw them. Anyone who makes a virus like that deserves to be in jail for years, and doesn't deserve the title "hacker", just "idiot". Oh, but if you want to make the setences for rape more harsh, go ahead, I wouldn't mind that.
Submitted by Insanethemind (user info) at 2003-09-15 13:17:10 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Yes... but rape a computer???
Then, swift justice is meted out under the precise watch of All Holy Attorney General Ashcroft.
This is the highest crime and biggest misdemeanor of them all
Submitted by itchy (user info) at 2003-09-15 13:08:46 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
you also have to look at the number of "victims" of the crime. You rape one woman, but your virus may screw 1,000 people. Imagine a civil suit by each victim as opposed to the criminal charge and you would be seriously fucked. Or another way, take that 15 year sentense and divide it by the number of victims and the actual penalty per victim is rather small.
Submitted by loki (user info) at 2003-09-15 08:48:22 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I don't know Eric, it does seem a bit out of scale, but that worm cost at least millions of dollars in damages to companies. Even worse, it fucked up my e-mail and cost me having lunch with my friends and screwing off on uber. Oh now that I think about it, maybe it saved some money because without the internet, I got quite a bit of work done.
Submitted by SoxSexSax (user info) at 2003-09-15 04:55:42 EDT (#)
Ranking: -1
"dude, crime is crime is crime."
I agree 100%. Personally, I want to see harsher penalties for ALL criminals. Breaking the law should be made a REAL risk.
Submitted by iddqd (user info) at 2003-09-15 03:51:11 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
dude, crime is crime is crime.
whether youre raping a woman or stealing money from a bank electronically (hypothetical), you are breaking the law (a so-called "victimless crime - in actual fact everyone pays for it through insurance). you are breaking the law and deserve to be punished. the only reason that the sentences are harsher for computer-related crime is that these crimes are relatively new, and lawyers havent had a chance to grind the process down like that have with everything else.
i say lock the fuckers away. hacking is fucked and costs ordinary people SHITLOADS of money. just like other crims.
Submitted by jwlmar10 (user info) at 2003-09-15 03:35:33 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
The legal system is fucked up. Here in Florida there is a maximum 1 year prison term for possession of under 20 grams of marijuana. I don't think it's at all right to send someone to jail for having a joint.
Submitted by EH (user info) at 2003-09-15 03:32:01 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
That didn't quite come out like I wanted it too, Why is it that the vision in my head is alway's greater then what comes off the tip's of my finger's. Damnit, I need to get some creative writing books! Damnit, Oh well, + 2 for my use of mentor's words in the opening!