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Hacker Sentenced To Longest US Sentence Yet
Iphtashu Fitz writes "The Associated Press is reporting that a Michigan man has been sentenced to 9 years in prison for his involvement in hacking into the corporate systems of Lowe's Home Improvement and attempting to steal customer credit card information. The sentence far exceeds the 5 1/2 years that hacker Kevin Mitnick spent behind bars. Two others are awaiting sentencing, including one of the first people to ever be convicted of wardriving. Prosecutors said the three men tapped into the wireless network of a Lowe's store in Southfield, Mich., used that connection to enter the chain's central computer system in North Wilkesboro, N.C., and installed a program to capture credit card information. No data was actually collected however."
That's the longest sententence indeed.
They were criminals. These were crackers, not hackers. You don't install credit card number capturing software on someone's retail network unless you're up to no good.
Thanks to our parole system which considers rape, murder, and anything else that isn't drug sales to be harmless to society, he'll be out in just four or six.
I bet he isn't looking forward to having his security hole exploited while in prison!
-- "Makes Little Debbie look like a pile of puke!" - Moe Szyslak
There have been murderers sentenced to one-fourth that length of time. This is ridiculius when people start valuing money over life.
Regards,
Steve
You break into a computer and steal my money, and it's going to become a violent crime when I break into your face and cause some non-monetary damages. Go to jail, go directly to jail, do not pass go, do not collect two-hundred dollars.
Is it fascism yet?
A bit of common sense here - 9 *years* for hacking. That is higher than the average federal sentence for murder http://www.law.upenn.edu/fac/phrobins/OxfordDeterr enceAppendix.pdf
although lower than the average state one.
You're right, breaking into a computer system is a non-violent crime. Are you saying that since it only concerns monetary damages it doesn't warrant a jail term? I suppose ENRON execs would certainly share your viewpoint. Grip on reality?, I imagine your views on the subject would change if your credit card was charged for purchases you never made. It would stand to reason that someone doing this doesn't have the money to back up the offenses he/she has done so there would be no recouping of lost money. Hit him up with community service? Sure, in each community of the owners of those cards, 100 hrs each. Again you're right, we can't throw everyone who inconveniences us in jail, but we can make sure that those that break the law end up there.
Not mentioned yet, but he _is_ a repeat offender. He brought down a local bbs--insert obligatory plug for arbornet.org!--back in 2000 and was the first charged with hacking under michigan law. http://www.merit.edu/mail.archives/netsec/2000-09/ msg00009.html
I dunno, but you'd think he'd have wised up by now.
Violent crimes effect an individual in a very drastic way, and such criminals should be punished harshly. However, non-violent crimes effect enourmous numbers of people, sometimes in minor ways, but often in profound ways. Violent crimes can destroy a life. Non-violent crimes tear at the fabric of society in a subtle but systemic fashion.
Is the person who dies because their healthcare fund was raided less dead, less of a victim, than someone killed with a gun? If you think so, I'd like to know where you've had your education-- that school system or university may need more funding.
I haven't been in jail but I have clients who have. Jails are infuriating. For example, a few weeks ago I went to the local county jail to see one of my clients. I'm standing at the window waiting my turn. A middle aged guy is there and explains that his son went to court for some hearing and was placed in jail for whatever reason. He had lent his truck to his son to get to court. His son had the keys on him and so they were now in property. He asked if he could get them out. Was told "no - not unless his son made a written request within 24 hours of being booked". After that 24 hrs, the keys stay in property till the son gets out of jail. So he wants to contact his son in a timely fashion. Nope, he can't do that either - he can send a letter or try visiting hours the next day. But then 24 hrs would pass and his sons written request to release the keys would be worthless. They went round and round like this for a while and in the end, the jail won.
A small thing but I can't imagine how much those constant small things would add up. I don't have to go down there much, but I hate every minute of it. If I spent even a week on the inside, I'd come out with a real passion for getting at the gov't any way I could.
What changed under Obama? Nothing Good