Hackers get life in prison

just finished reading an article that i found to be slightly upsetting. apparently you can get life in prison now for gaining entry to certain systems. better watch where you are going script kiddies. you might get called a terrorist and end up meeting with big bubba in a federal prison.

http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,50708,00.html

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"Until we secure our cyber infrastructure, a few keystrokes and an Internet connection is all one needs to disable the economy and endanger lives," said CSEA sponsor Lamar Smith (R-Texas), the subcommittee's chairman. "A mouse can be just as dangerous as a bullet or a bomb."
-- quote from the article linked above.

This is pretty old news. Since September 11, the US passed the "Patriot Act" In there, hacking is considered an act of terrorism. The funny thing is, they don't define hacking very well. Technically, a ping could be considered the start of a hack attack, because you are checking on the status of your target. Just remember that the next time you want to make sure you haven't dropped your internet connection and want to ping an outside computer to make sure you are still on line. Ping the wrong computer, and you may be doing life in prison.

Obviously that is a little overboard, but according to the wording.....Although I really don't see anyone going to prison for that, if you cantch the FBI on a bad day, you may do a few days in jail before you can make bond.

NO ****! I would agree with Souleman that this is old news buddy better luck next time!

this is not old news. it was just voted on 2 nights ago. pay attention. this is not the same as the patriot act that was passed right after sept 11. why do you think i am posting it?

yup I heard about this some while ago... Isn't it amazing (alarming is probably a better word for it) what the U.S. gov. can do when they just can call it "protecting the ppl"... Since all these decisions affect their ppl, shouldn't the ppl help in creating these laws? How can a bunch of politicians create Internet laws when they don't even know how to install windows on a normal workstation? It's too much politics and too little experience and logical thinking. Yes, the gov. have "computer experts" who are developing these laws but who is it that decide which computer-experts to hire and which to fire? The government does!...
All of this is easy for me to say cause I aint an american but still it frightens me.
Good post VanEck :)

souleman, freeOn... it's true that this is kinda ol' news (at least the first time it was mentioned in the media is a long time ago) but it's still important and interesting stuff, right? And I think VanEck is right about it just being voted on a couple of days ago (I've seen it popup again many places).
well anyways... PEACE! :D

I think it's halfway decent, though souleman brings a really good point. I mean the art of hacking is beautiful...it's gaining knowledge. But you won't get into trouble if you keep it clean.. I mean participate in hacker wargames, or hack your own system...all of this will bring you to a further understanding of how system security works....

but like I said, it has to be CLEAN. If someone wants to impress their friends by showing them they can portscan the pentagon, and start doing dumb trics that most newbies do...then they deserve a little trial, something to scare the crap out of them so that it stops. And that's where this law comes into place, it's meant to attack the threats..as well as the petty annoying script kiddies who claim to hack zonealarm and their school novell network
(that last one was for you netsyn, I thought you'd like it ;) )

Quote:

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Originally posted here by k41d3r07h [/i]
[B]I think it's halfway decent, though souleman brings a really good point. I mean the art of hacking is beautiful...it's gaining knowledge. But you won't get into trouble if you keep it clean.. I mean participate in hacker wargames, or hack your own system...all of this will bring you to a further understanding of how system security works....

but like I said, it has to be CLEAN. If someone wants to impress their friends by showing them they can portscan the pentagon, and start doing dumb trics that most newbies do...then they deserve a little trial, something to scare the crap out of them so that it stops. And that's where this law comes into place, it's meant to attack the threats..as well as the petty annoying script kiddies who claim to hack zonealarm and their school novell network
(that last one was for you netsyn, I thought you'd like it ;) )

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I partly agree with u. Even though script kiddies are idiots they don't deserve to be imprisoned as terrorists. Would u send a vandal to eight years of prison? Anyhow, it's absolutely true that if u hack clean nothing will happen to u, and: Hackers aren't criminals, criminals are :D Hacking is perfectly legal. Abusing good knowledge is what makes u a criminal... Or the lack of knowledge (the script kiddies proof this point hehe)
I personally think it's better to make ppl understand how to act on the net instead of making them fear it. And I believe a law like this will creat big fears... Fears that might make none-technical ppl think of all computer wizkids as terrorists, and that's very very very bad.

Yes, The Patriot act was passed some months ago.........but if you read the article you would see it's about expanding the types of hacking punishable by incarceration. Also, look at the date of the article.....

Quote:

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Origanally posted by wired news
8:50 a.m. Feb. 27, 2002 PST
WASHINGTON -- A House panel voted unanimously late Tuesday to expand the types of hacking crimes that would be punished by life imprisonment.

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Good post VanEck........

I completely agree zion...if some kiddie gets caught, they wont be punished with the full extent of the law....but it will scare the hell out of them, that is needed. We don't need sub7 obsessed children going to jail, what we need is for them to get back to videogames

This might seem really stupid because I don't keep up with this news, but is hacking illegal in every country (eg. Ireland) or is it just a US thing?

Yeah, I read this and was thinging about posting it but my little friend Time_axe said no....everyone already knows this....*sigh*. But, I don't think it will be completely imforced for minor crimes. Just the serious ones. Yeah, it's pretty freaking scary though.

It's not a crime in Finland........
Really...it ISN'T......it's considerd dissgracefull, but not Iligal....quite funny acctualy...

I 4 got to mention this:
If a Hacker uses your Computer as a Jump-point, then it's likly that YOU go to jail 4 life, not the Hacker......that is the most scary part, coz ppl who know sh!t all about computers can b called hackers/terrorists and sent to jail..........and that would b a bad thing........

- Noia

And I thought murder was the worst punishable crime. redrum redrum.

We the people need to take this country back before we loss our rights to even breath.

Quote:

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Until we secure our cyber infrastructure, a few keystrokes and an Internet connection is all one needs to disable the economy and endanger lives," said CSEA sponsor Lamar Smith (R-Texas), the subcommittee's chairman. "A mouse can be just as dangerous as a bullet or a bomb."

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He really doesn't know what he's talking about. It sounds like he's thinking of a pimply teenager in a room who gets into an air-traffic-control station with a magic program and three password guesses.

Most people base their fears of hacking/virii on what they see in movies, and what the media feeds them. Ignorance is terrible thing.

The Hollywood movie industry is probably the hackers worst enemy. They make up all the lies that later give all hackers a hard time or maybe even time in jail... Hackers don't break the law, they don't abuse their knowledge, they are educated ppl.... criminals does all the things Hollywood movies show, just because they use a 'puter to break the law doesn't make 'em hackers... that's giving criminals too much credit...
I can be educated at MIT (if I'm smart enough :D) and become a professional hacker... WOW! So no, hacking isn't illegal in any modern society, that's just something bad movie producers think.