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Hackers are 'Terrorists' Under Ashcroft's New Act
Carlos writes "Most computer crimes are considered acts of terrorism under John Ashcroft's proposed 'Anti-Terrorism Act,' according to this story on SecurityFocus. The Act would abolish the statute of limitations for computer crime, retroactively, force convicted hackers to give the government DNA samples for a special federal database, and increase the maximum sentence for computer intrusion to life in prison. Harboring or providing advice to a hacker would be terrorism as well. This is on top of the expanded surveillance powers already reported on. The bill could be passed as early as this week. I feel safer already."
Hackers aren't criminals. Crackers are. Seriously-- why _shouldn't_ computer crime be crime?
-- Is "Sig" copyrighted by www.sig.com?
I don't mind increase survelance powers in order to fight terrorism. However, scrawling "I love you Crystal" or some such on some web page is not terrorism.
This thing needs to at least be tempered by a clause which adds or defines criminal intent. That is, if hacking is done with the intent to destroy or disable the United States government and/or make actual acts of terrorism (such as blowing people up) easier, then throw the bastards in jail. But defacing some web site doesn't harm the United States government; it's just annoying as hell. And annoying doesn't deserve life in prison without the possibility of parole--especially since actually killing someone is what I would consider slightly more annoying, yet many types of murder don't get anywhere near life.
Don't write viruses.
Don't write worms.
Don't use known cracking tools and 'sploits.
Don't tell people how to take advantage of vulnerabilities, with the intent of helping others cause harm.
Don't break the law, and you'll have nothing to worry about. You had nothing to worry about before if you didn't break the law. Is it really that hard to do?
I just want to know as anyone found any evidence of terrorists using anything "high tech" for WTC?
The highest tech I have heard of is using email at Kinko's.
You do realize we are now "at war" with terrorists? which of course means curtailed civil liberties, and in order to keep that going we will need an ongoing list of terrorists.....
so now we add hackers. once they are rounded up, i'm sure we'll move on the anti-globalism forces,
then people who think our government has taken away too many rights, then etc........
we are on the slippery slope, and some dumbass MFer's in congress are passing out vegetable oil.
I went and followed the link to read on the EFF web page, and I don't see what everyone's bitching at. Here's the definition of a Federal Terrorist Offense as mentioned in the Anti-Terrorism Act.
SEC. 309. DEFINITION.
(a) Chapter 1 of title 18, United States Code, is amended-
(1) by adding after section 24 a new section as follows:
"SS 25. Federal terrorism offense defined
"As used in this title, the term `Federal terrorism offense' means a violation of, or an attempt or conspiracy to violate-
"(a) section 32 (relating to destruction of aircraft or aircraft facilities), 37 (relating to violence at international airports), 81 (relating to arson within special maritime and territorial jurisdiction), 175, 175b (relating to biological weapons), 229 (relating to chemical weapons), 351 (relating to congressional, cabinet, and Supreme Court assassination, kidnapping, and assault), 792 (relating to harboring terrorists), 831 (relating to nuclear materials), 842(m) or (n) (relating to plastic explosives), 844(e) (relating to certain bombings), 844(f) or (i) (relating to arson and bombing of certain property), 930(c), 956 (relating to conspiracy to injure property of a foreign government), 1030(a)(1), (a)(4), (a)(5)(A), or (a)(7) (relating to protection of computers), 1114 (relating to protection of officers and employees of the United States), 1116 (relating to murder or manslaughter of foreign officials, official guests, or internationally protected persons), 1203 (relating to hostage taking), 1361 (relating to injury of Government property or contracts), 1362 (relating to destruction of communication lines, stations, or systems), 1363 (relating to injury to buildings or property within special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States), 1366 (relating to destruction of an energy facility), 1751 (relating to Presidential and Presidential staff assassination, kidnapping, and assault), 1992, 2152 (relating to injury of fortifications, harbor defenses, or defensive sea areas), 2155 (relating to destruction of national defense materials, premises, or utilities), 2156 (relating to production of defective national defense materials, premises, or utilities), 2280 (relating to violence against maritime navigation), 2281(relating to violence against maritime fixed platforms), 2332 (relating to certain homicides and other violence against United States nationals occurring outside of the United States), 2332a (relating to use of weapons of mass destruction), 2332b (relating to acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries), 2332c, 2339A (relating to providing material support to terrorists), 2339B (relating to providing material support to terrorist organizations), or 2340A (relating to torture);
"(b) section 236 (relating to sabotage of nuclear facilities or fuel) of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2284);
"(c) section 601 (relating to disclosure of identities of covert agents) of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 421); or
"(d) section 46502 (relating to aircraft piracy), section 46504 (relating to interference with a flight crew), section 46505 (relating to carrying a weapon or explosive on aircraft), section 46506 (relating to application of certain criminal laws to acts on aircraft), or section 60123(b) (relating to destruction of interstate gas or hazardous liquid pipeline facility) of title 49."; and
(2) in the chapter analysis, by inserting after the item relating to section 24 the following:
"25. Federal terrorism offense defined.".
(b) Section 2332b(g)(5)(B) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by striking "is a violation" and all that follows through "title 49" and inserting "is a Federal terrorism offense".
Read carefully, I don't see anything out of line there, and the statute of limitations is merely covering that as well.
/. is the new hysteria media source, congratualations folks
I thought reading it would calm my fears.
a ta_bill.html
I thought we were experiencing a loss of signal to noise by repeating snipppets from person to person.
Read it for yourself at http://www.eff.org/Privacy/Surveillance/20010919_
Here is my favorite part:
[ begin block quote ]
SEC. 201. DEFINITIONS RELATING TO TERRORISM.
The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 is amended-
(a) in Section 212(a)(3) (8 U.S.C. 1182)--
(1) in paragraph (B) -
(A) in clause (i) -
(i) by amending paragraph (IV) to read as follows:
"(IV) is a representative (as defined in clause (iv)) of : (a) a foreign
terrorist organization, as designated by the Secretary under section 219, or
(b) a political, social or other similar group whose public endorsement of
acts of terrorist activity the Secretary has determined undermines U.S.
efforts to reduce or eliminate terrorist activities, or";
[ end block quote ]
My translation is "terrorists are who we say they are and here is your hunting license!"
Also in there is an amazingly circular definition of "terrorist activities." It is a must read.
Can anyone supply a link to the proposed 25 page bill under question?
Thanks
To late, by the time the snail mail get's there the government will have already decided.
Pretty slick.
Benjamin Franklin said it BEST (I paraphrase here): he who would relinquish some of his liberties in the name of protecting freedom deserves NEITHER. And, NEVER think that "it can't happen here"... are you so naive as to believe that one morning Jews in Germany woke up to find their country changed completely? What happened in Germany did NOT happen overnight.