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Kevin Free

Posted by michael on from the mitnick-schmitnick dept.

An anonymous reader writes: "Surely many of you will remember that before there was ever a cry to 'Free Dimitry Sklyarov', Free Kevin Mitnick was the call of many. He was convicted on 'hacking' charges, though many on the Internet found the charges and trial to be unfair. He was freed in January 2000, but not allowed to touch a computer or log onto the Internet until January 20, 2003. See the story at CNN or read some background info at freekevin.com. "

9 of 414 comments (clear)

  1. Well... by jgalun · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I am less than sympathetic towards Kevin Mitnick. He committed a crime, and he got punished for it. Poor baby.

    However, I think not ever allowing him to use a computer again is a foolish punishment. Computers are too essential to life in America today for that to be a reasonable punishment.

    Personally, I would like to see some sort of bargain between the court and Mitnick, whereby he gets to use computers again, but will face an ever tougher punishment if he is discovered hacking again.

    1. Re:Well... by weave · · Score: 5, Insightful
      I am not sure what I believe as to his guilt or innocence but it wasn't right he was held for years without a trial.

      At least he wasn't busted under Bush's watch, else he would have been labeled an enemy combatent and been held indefinitely with no access to council let alone having charges bought or opportunity to fight them in a court of law.

    2. Re:Well... by Malcontent · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It's a matter of proportion, something most Americans seem not to understand. Kevin Mitnick would have been better off raping somebody. He would have spent less time in jail and he could still make a living. Does that seen just to you?

      --

      War is necrophilia.

    3. Re:Well... by J.+J.+Ramsey · · Score: 4, Insightful

      "I am less than sympathetic towards Kevin Mitnick. He committed a crime, and he got punished for it. Poor baby."

      I'm inclined to agree. The injustice was not that Mitnick was tried and convicted for his crimes, but that he was treated as if he were some super-dangerous uberhacker, when in fact, he caused a lot more hassle than damage. The government imbued him with this mystique that is out-of-balance with what he actually accomplished.

  2. Social Eng 101: How to get Access. by Neck_of_the_Woods · · Score: 4, Insightful


    He has pulled the biggest con of them all, now they HIRE HIM to do the security.....

    Bravo, this guy is a work of art.

    --
    Neck_of_the_Woods
    #/usr/local/surf/glassy/overhead
  3. Free Kevin first.. by Travoltus · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ..then let's free EVERYONE who commits acts of unauthorized breaking and entering, stealing personal information, etc.

    It's amazing how much sympathy has poured out for a guy who stole people's credit card numbers...

    --
    --- Grow a pair, liberals... stop letting the Republicans bully you!
  4. Re:Foolish Punishment?!?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    My wife worked in the courts for a few years and while people lost the "privledge" of driving for multiple DUI and DWI's that "never" stopped any of them from driving and "rarely" caused any of them to server more than 30 days (which also was a rare occurrence).

    I'm sorry, but someone who gets tanked and drives into a school bus killing a dozen kids on a revoked liscense due to his 11 DWI's typically will serve 1 year + 1 day in jail.

    Kevin hacked into computers hypothetically causing monetary damages.

    Kevin goes to prison for 5 years plus 2 years of strict probation where you'd better believe he's being watched like a hawk. The poor drunk spends 1 year + 1 day in jail (9 months with good behaviour) and gets to go out and celebrate by getting tanked and driving a car that night.

    does that sound fair?

  5. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  6. Re:FuckKevin.com by LostCluster · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If he doesn't walk through the wide open security hole you leave, somebody else will eventually.

    The moral of the story: Don't leave holes in your security. Be prepared for anything, including the imposters on the phone who claim to the be the CEO. Yeah, it means the insulting hassle of having to authenticate the CEO's identity every time he calls, but if you don't you're talking a risk.