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British Cops Hack Into Government Computers
CmdrGravy writes "The British Police have hacked into Government computers as part of the on-going 'cash for peerages' investigation. They've uncovered evidence which has, so far, led to one arrest and charge of perverting the course of justice for a leading Labour party figure. This charge carries a potential life sentence. The British police have the power to hack into computer systems as part of an investigation. On previous occasions they have said they did not believe the government was providing them with the information they had been asking for and had warned that they would seek other methods to gather evidence. The police won't say what tools they have used. From the article: 'The investigators did not have to notify No 10 if they were "hacking" into its system. One legal expert said: "In some cases, a senior officer can give permission. In other cases, you might need the authorization of an independent commissioner, who is usually a retired judge appointed by the Home Office."'"
Nothing like hot state-on-state action, eh?
I wonder who the British police hired to do this, according to the article they used "computer experts" to do the job.
But now that these "computer experts" have done this once with police blessing, had a nice look at the systems I wouldn't wonder if they could do it again without the blessing or knowledge of the police.
From the article it doesn't look like the sys-admins at Downing Street have been all that involved in this, I sure hope they have now been notified of how this was done and whatever way was used to get into the systems have been closed.
One could suspect that with the police having known these/this "computer expert(s)" it might be an indication that it wasn't a white hat they got hold of, but really that is just speculation, it might also have been a white hat person.
Anyhow I know nothing but what it says in TFA, which really isn't a lot, but for the sake of british security I sure hope this has been done in a sensible way.
Yeah, how dare someone be able to get a peerage because of wealth. Everyone knows that's not how it's supposed to work. If this were to continue, well ... completely undeserving people could get one!
Apology to Ubuntu forum.
Here's what I don't get: this is the British police, not some elite hacking group. They are probably using pretty basic hacking methods to hack into government computers. If this is the case, why aren't the computers more secure to begin with? If the police can do it, I'll bet your kid's lunch money that your teenage neighbor can as well. To me, the lack of adequate security is a far more significant embarrassment than the hacking itself.
Crack - Free with every butt and set of boobs
Nobody has been charged as a result of this investigation. The official who was arrested was questioned on suspicion of perverting the course of justice and was later released.
Actually, I shouldn't be shocked. They've lied about funding, the health service, taxes and just about everything else... they'd be the first to try and protect their own livelihoods when it came to the crunch.
Is it just me, or is my country going to the dogs? Or is it just that there is no such thing as an honest politician?
When did I realise I was God? Well, I was praying and I suddenly realised I was talking to myself.
Eclipse PDE and Me
I'm guessing that the "hacking" that is being described is actually a standard analysis of the hard drive after the computer has been taken by the police as evidence. There's nothing unusual in this at all. They'll be looking for deleted files and examining the disk on a sector by sector basis. The Government (or a stupid journalist) is defining this as "Hacking" when in fact it's what the police do with all seized computers.
Training monkeys for world domination since 1439
all the passwords were "NigellaDoMe"
---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
That the escalation in the UK's police powers has gone too far.
NO ID: BEING FREE MEANS NOT HAVING TO PROVE IT
While it's true that Common Law is the basis of our legal system, most of the applicable laws when it comes to computer crime are much newer than Common Law. I.e. wiretapping (either phones or email) is not something for which common law is cited, but rather telephone acts from the early 1900s. As such, in the area of gathering computer records, I think it's a safe assumption that there may be very substantive differences between the laws of the US and the UK, making it not such a stupid question to ask. Of course, IANAL :-)
My sources tell me that, as usual, the most serious charges are related to secondary offenses.
In the present case what is terrifying Government Ministers and senior figures in New Labour is that they may be charged with anti competitive behaviour and market manipulation - distorting the free market in peerages and other honours, and colluding with other honours suppliers. If the police start to suspect something like this has gone on, the Office of Fair Trading and the European Commission could get involved, and you know that when the Competition Directorate moves, terror strikes.
It is truly tragic. Britain was always famous around the world as the country that operated the most open and transparent market for honours of all sorts. Its a great pity it has come to this.
The parent is most probably right. The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIP Act) is a fairly new law that allows the parts of the government to do all sorts of horrible things to people, such as 6 months for forgetting your PGP key.
Just one of my fav'rite net things..
Have you considered that maybe a warrant *is* the authorisation of an independent commissioner, who is usually a retired judge?
Really the lesson here is that the British can fool an American by replacing a word with its definition.
You're American, aren't you? In england we have wonderfu;l laws meaning the police aren't part of the government, and MPs and the PM can be prosecuted.
You're American, aren't you? In england we have wonderfu;l laws meaning the police aren't part of the government, and MPs and the PM can be prosecuted.
Yes, the British system of government is fabulous.
Especially if you want to buy a peerage.
Resigned before anything could be done? If he committed a crime, it shouldn't matter that he quit the job first.
I'm not proposing that the British system is the paragon of integrity relative to the American system, but that's probably the best example you can give of the police correcting corrupt government behaviour, and it didn't work. Bush sends thousands of Americans to their deaths overseas, but the entire American political system sits on their hands.
But lie about a blowjob, and...
In the UK, each police force is monitored by a committee of local representatives called a Police Authority. Their role is to ensure effective, efficient and fair policing for their area.
Complaints are handled by the Independent Police Complaints Commission which is fully independent with its own investigators. Seats on the commission are not open to former police officers.
There are lots of things wrong with the way things are run in Britain, but policing isn't one of them.
An old joke makes that observation. In European heaven, the chefs are French, the engineers are German, the Italians are the lovers, the British are the police and it's all run by the Swiss. In European hell, the French are the engineers, the Germans are the police, the British are the chefs, the Swiss are the lovers, and it's all run by the Italians.
-- Nick "Hallo this is Beel Gates, und I pronounce weendows as