Slashdot Mirror


World's Biggest Hacker Held

Hieronymus Howard writes "The London Evening Standard is reporting that the "worlds biggest computer hacker" has been arrested in London. Gary McKinnon, 39, was seized by the Met's extradition unit at his Wood Green home. The unemployed former computer engineer is accused of causing the U.S. government $1 billion of damage by breaking into its most secure computers at the Pentagon and NASA. He is likely to be extradited to America to face eight counts of computer crime in 14 states and could be jailed for 70 years. Apparently he broke into U.S. military computers to hunt for evidence of a UFO cover-up."

21 of 631 comments (clear)

  1. Obligitory Slashdot Discussion by DeadSea · · Score: 5, Funny

    I don't believe that this guy is the world's biggest hacker. Have you seen Cowboy Neal??? Now that's big!

    This guy was looking for UFOs. In Soviet Russia, UFOs look for you!

    We all know that if he was an uber-hacker he would have created a Beowulf cluster of all the computers he hacked.

    One billion in damages? That number has to be inflated. (Actually the article says 570000 pounds which is only about 1 Million US dollars according to my currency calculator)

    1. Get paranoid about UFOs
    2. Hack into the US government
    3. Get caught
    4. ????
    5. Profit!
    1. Re:Obligitory Slashdot Discussion by rokzy · · Score: 4, Funny

      you must be new here.

    2. Re:Obligitory Slashdot Discussion by Thuktun · · Score: 5, Funny

      Actually the article says 570000 pounds

      Wow, that guy IS big.

    3. Re:Obligitory Slashdot Discussion by zenneth · · Score: 4, Funny

      heh, that's great irony... the six-digit guy telling the five-digit guy he's a noob.

      --
      The Chronic *WHAT* les of Narnia!
  2. Sweet Jesus. by newrisejohn · · Score: 4, Funny

    If you do $1 Billion worth of damage just to look for UFO conspiracy information, you deserve to be locked up.

    Although this could help his insanity plea.

  3. This just in by yotto · · Score: 5, Funny

    The police have apologized to his mother for kicking in her door, but it was the only way they could reach the basement.

  4. Whoah by LegendOfLink · · Score: 5, Funny

    OMG, they finally caught JeffK!?

  5. Re:Smart? Yes. A Nut? Perhaps. How about both? by Omnieiunium · · Score: 5, Funny

    He wasn't onto anything. He found nothing. Nothing at all. He did not hack into our databases or steal information. Never happened. Never.

  6. Re:So... by hamburger+lady · · Score: 4, Funny

    goes by the name of 'Brasky'. i'd say he's about 8'5", 750 pounds.

    --

    ---
    Is this the MPAA? Is this the RIAA? Is this the DMCA? I thought it was the USA!
  7. Re:Don't they mean cracker? by Morgon · · Score: 5, Funny

    Why's it always gotta be about race?!

    --
    [DISCLAIMER: This post is a work of satire and should not be misconstrued as a holy text upon which to base a religion.]
  8. Re:what? by 93,000 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Duh . . .

    He compromised over 3 Libraries of Congress worth of information, which costs the government such a large amount of money that, if stacked in $20 bills, it would be the size of four Volkswagen beetles. And if you don't know that it takes 1/4 billion in twenties to equeal a Volkswagen bug, then turn in your nerd card at the door.

  9. Re:Don't they mean cracker? by Datamonstar · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yes, a saltine of massive proportions.

    --
    The eternal struggle of good vs. evil begins within one's self.
  10. He Got The Wrong System by Hoi+Polloi · · Score: 4, Funny

    If he was really smart he would have broken into the alien computer system via the link in...ah, forgot I ever said that.

    --
    It is by the juice of the coffee bean that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains. The stains become a warning
    1. Re:He Got The Wrong System by Metzli · · Score: 4, Funny

      That would only work if was using an older model of Powerbook. It might also require that he looks more like Jeff Goldblum.

      --
      "It's too bad stupidity isn't painful." - A. S. LaVey
  11. Re:what? by Zeebs · · Score: 4, Funny

    If you call any of your doors the "hole" you might want to get your contractor to come and fix it anyway.

    --

    Happy Noodle Boy says "F###ing doughnut! Mock me? You fried cyclops!!"
  12. Re:Free On Bail (BBC) by magarity · · Score: 4, Funny

    Free on bail + facing 70 year sentence = run awaaaaaay! run awaaaaaay!

  13. No, I'm New Here by New+Here · · Score: 4, Funny

    No, I'm New Here

  14. It's a good thing he didn't download Eminem songs! by CyricZ · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's a good thing he didn't download Eminem songs as well. Then he would have been in deep shit.

    --
    Cyric Zndovzny at your service.
  15. Re:Smart? Yes. A Nut? Perhaps. How about both? by prisonercx · · Score: 5, Funny

    Don't be too sad for him, he got his wish. He's about to be far more involved with anal probing.

  16. Re:Smart? Yes. A Nut? Perhaps. How about both? by Dasch · · Score: 4, Funny

    Sure, that's true! Last year I was standing next to a house, smoking some weed, when I lost my balance, tripped, and fell through a window! I thought I might as well crash there, so I took a nap in the owner's bed.

  17. In other news . . . by ndansmith · · Score: 4, Funny

    . . . Halliburton has won a no-bid contract from the Bush administration to fix the "$1 billion" of damages.