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Appropriate Punishment For Crackers?

Cally writes "There's a Kevin Poulson article on SecurityFocus reporting that the US Sentencing Commission is seeking opinions about the appropriate punishment for convicted system crackers and other black-hat types. On one hand, it seems absurd to ruin the entire life of a foolish 15 year-old for committing the equivalent of graffiti. Then again, perhaps these people are cyber-terrorists who should be illegally imprisoned, indefinitely, without a trial, charges, or legal representation? You choose."

1 of 633 comments (clear)

  1. NO NEW LAWS by Lumpy · · Score: 5, Informative

    If you Break into a website and vandalize it you already have laws to deal with that... if you break into a website and STEAL confidential information we already have theft laws for that.

    why we have to treat it any different than in the real world I dont understand...

    if a bunch of no-brain-punks smash in the front doors of saxs 5th ave. and spraypainted all over the interior... there are a nice set of laws in place to nail the little idiot bastards.. the same happens when you B&E a website and put your no-skills drivel in place of index.html.. and the same laws need to apply.

    the hard part is when the punk is in Guana and the website that was vandalized is in Alaska.. how do you prosecute the little turd without acting like a global government enforcer?

    if it happens in your state with a victim and victimizer in the same state... it's easy to prosecute... but 90% of these cases are never that way.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.