Perhaps it really isn't about bullying, but getting every bit of what you pay for. Just because you have found a way to utilize all of your bandwidth doesn't make you liable for melting down the internet. It just means that the ISPs need to evolve along with the technology. They have been quoting bogus bandwidth amounts and corresponding prices for years. And now that their outdated model has proven to be a disaster, they should evolve or die like the rest of us.
I would also ask how this person made the determination that the defendents' computer was the ONLY computer connected to that IP address. How did he know an unsecured wireless router wasn't assigned the IP address? How did he know that a war-driver wasn't connected to a wireless router without permission? Did the defendent have the technical knowledge to use encryption (WPA, NOT WEP. WEP IS EASILY CRACKED). Did the defendent know how to use the router's logging mechanisms properly to see who was connected to the router? Did the expert witness also evaluate the router (if one existed)? If a router was not employed, how did he make the determination that someone didn't just walk up to the house and plug into the line (dsl, cable, etc) and use the connection without permission? I work in the field of information security, and there are a myriad of variables at play that makes it virtually impossible for anyone to say with 100% certainty that the defendent's computer was the actual computer attached at the time of upload/download. The only way to absolutely know is to do a forensic analysis of the drive, and that is VERY iffy because enough back data would need to be obtained to get statistical relavence from the "junk" and loose-end files lying around. That part is time sensitive and if done properly, would need to be done instantly and not days/weeks/months later. Read a best-practice book on forensic analysis and you'll get a deeper insight into just how difficult it can be to reconstruct obliterated data.
I too have abandoned most other forms of information. I don't find it to be a bad thing though. I probably would be about 50 iq points dumber if not for the internet. I think it's a beautiful thing. so much information, so little time.
Prior to joining the corporate world, I enjoyed working for a University in a network administration capacity. The agency that I worked for was very well funded by Federal grants, so we always had the latest hardware and software to work with. I fear that had our budget been limited like 90% of other academic programs, I would not have enjoyed my work so much. I would have been driven away long ago by political environment. The prior comments are correct, the pay is less (much less) and the politics can be brutal. But working for an Institution that has very good funding can be very rewarding, technically speaking.
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Perhaps it really isn't about bullying, but getting every bit of what you pay for. Just because you have found a way to utilize all of your bandwidth doesn't make you liable for melting down the internet. It just means that the ISPs need to evolve along with the technology. They have been quoting bogus bandwidth amounts and corresponding prices for years. And now that their outdated model has proven to be a disaster, they should evolve or die like the rest of us.
I would also ask how this person made the determination that the defendents' computer was the ONLY computer connected to that IP address. How did he know an unsecured wireless router wasn't assigned the IP address? How did he know that a war-driver wasn't connected to a wireless router without permission? Did the defendent have the technical knowledge to use encryption (WPA, NOT WEP. WEP IS EASILY CRACKED). Did the defendent know how to use the router's logging mechanisms properly to see who was connected to the router? Did the expert witness also evaluate the router (if one existed)? If a router was not employed, how did he make the determination that someone didn't just walk up to the house and plug into the line (dsl, cable, etc) and use the connection without permission? I work in the field of information security, and there are a myriad of variables at play that makes it virtually impossible for anyone to say with 100% certainty that the defendent's computer was the actual computer attached at the time of upload/download. The only way to absolutely know is to do a forensic analysis of the drive, and that is VERY iffy because enough back data would need to be obtained to get statistical relavence from the "junk" and loose-end files lying around. That part is time sensitive and if done properly, would need to be done instantly and not days/weeks/months later. Read a best-practice book on forensic analysis and you'll get a deeper insight into just how difficult it can be to reconstruct obliterated data.
I too have abandoned most other forms of information. I don't find it to be a bad thing though. I probably would be about 50 iq points dumber if not for the internet. I think it's a beautiful thing. so much information, so little time.
Prior to joining the corporate world, I enjoyed working for a University in a network administration capacity. The agency that I worked for was very well funded by Federal grants, so we always had the latest hardware and software to work with. I fear that had our budget been limited like 90% of other academic programs, I would not have enjoyed my work so much. I would have been driven away long ago by political environment. The prior comments are correct, the pay is less (much less) and the politics can be brutal. But working for an Institution that has very good funding can be very rewarding, technically speaking.
http://www.provantage.com has always been pretty good. Prices are low and support is high. What else can you ask for?