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Researcher Gets 20 Days In Prison For Hacking State Websites As Political Stunt (softpedia.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the don't-do-the-crime-if-you-can't-do-the-time dept.

An anonymous reader writes from a report via Softpedia: David Levin, 31, of Estero, Florida will spend 20 days in prison after hacking two websites belonging to the Florida state elections department. Levin, a security researcher, tested the security of two Florida state election websites without permission, and then recorded a video and posted on YouTube. The problem is that the man appearing in the video next to Levin was a candidate for the role of state election supervisor, running for the same position against the incumbent Supervisor of Elections, Sharon Harrington. Harrington reported the video to authorities, who didn't appreciate the media stunt pulled by the two, and charged the security researcher with three counts of hacking-related charges. The researcher turned himself in in May and pleaded guilty to all charges. This week, he received a 20-day prison sentence and two years of probation. In court he admitted to the whole incident being a political stunt.

3 of 85 comments (clear)

  1. Political stunt as it may've been... by Lead+Butthead · · Score: 4, Insightful

    the abysmal security in place is down right embarrassing. and we all know how much the government likes to silence the messengers.

    --
    ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI!?
  2. Re:What, no thanks? by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 2, Insightful

    the researcher get jail time.

    Just because a vandal calls himself a "researcher" doesn't mean he is one.

    Politicians are jerks.

    So are vandals.

  3. Re:Never report security vulnerabilites by AlphaBro · · Score: 3, Insightful

    If it's a live system, permission has not been granted, and a similar test environment cannot be setup, then I Ignore it, and if at all possible, I avoid using the vulnerable system in question. Bear in mind I say this as someone that does vulnerability research for a living. I'm not a fan of the extant legislation, but if that's what society wants from me, that's what it's going to get. I refuse to risk my freedom for a bunch of assholes that don't want my help, and I've plenty of paying customers that aren't complete idiots, so my attention is better spent on them.

    Maybe someday the pols will get their shit together and the problem will work itself out, but I have little faith at this point.