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Thread: Computer hacker arrested.

  1. #1
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    Computer hacker arrested.

    A London man described as the "world's biggest computer hacker" has been arrested.

    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 US government $1billion 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.

    The former Highgate Wood comprehensive-pupil is being held at a central London-police station and was appearing before Bow Street magistrates today.

    Most of the alleged hacking took place in 2001 and 2002. At one stage the US thought it was the work of the al Qaeda terror network.

    Friends said that he broke into the networks from his home computer to try to prove his theory that the US was covering up the existence of UFOs.

    He is accused of a series of hacking offences including deleting "critical" files from military computers. The US authorities said the cost of tracking him down and correcting the alleged problems was more than £570,000. The offences could also see him fined up to £950,000 if found guilty on all charges.

    He was arrested yesterday evening but the US first issued an indictment against him in November 2002.

    Prosecutor Paul McNulty alleged that McKinnon, known online as "Solo," had perpetrated "the biggest hack of military computers ever". He was named as the chief suspect after a series of electronic break-ins occurred over 12 months at 92 separate US military and Nasa networks.

    McKinnon was also accused of hacking into the networks of six private companies and organisations.

    It is alleged that he used software available on the internet to scan tens of thousands of computers on US military networks from his home PC, looking for machines that might be exposed due to flaws in the Windows operating system.

    Many of the computers he broke into were protected by easy-to-guess passwords, investigators said. In some cases, McKinnon allegedly shut down the computer systems he invaded.

    The charge sheet alleges that he hacked into an army computer at Fort Myer, Virginia, where he obtained codes, information and commands before deleting about 1,300 user accounts.

    Other systems he hacked into included the Pentagon's network and US army, navy and air force computers.

    Reports when he was first indicted said that McKinnon found his career as a computer engineer tedious.

    One message updating old schoolfriends on a website read simply: "Computers (Yawn)".

    Friends said he was desperate to prove that the Americans had mounted a huge cover-up to deny his belief that aliens had visited earth.

    Andrew Edwards, who has known McKinnon since their days together at Highgate Wood comprehensive, said in 2002: "Gary told me all he was doing was looking for proof of a cover-up over UFOs.

    "He's been interested in UFOs for some time and believes the Americans are holding back information - although he didn't find any proof."
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  2. #2
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    he's pretty smart guy that he was able to go that far.

    i really don't know why "critical files" are kept in the computer that is linked up to the Internet. but how did he do that anyway
    12 cylinders or walk!

  3. #3
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    it is quite simple, if you have a bit of knowledge about it. i tried myself last year.i could easily break into the school network from home.i asked a teacher two days later (he runs it) and he said it was secured with the best they could get and afford they have never noticed me breaking in

    this shows again that secret stuff is not secured enough as it should.imo this guy should not be punished, but should get a job as a security expert

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by drakkie
    it is quite simple, if you have a bit of knowledge about it. i tried myself last year.i could easily break into the school network from home.i asked a teacher two days later (he runs it) and he said it was secured with the best they could get and afford they have never noticed me breaking in

    this shows again that secret stuff is not secured enough as it should.imo this guy should not be punished, but should get a job as a security expert

    Bs flag is waving. Sorry, but school networks a lot more secure than you think they are.

    A team of experts who have gone to college and designed the program will pretty much outsmart any kid at a school. Sorry, but until you can back up your claim, I don't believe you.

    How did you get into the system from a remote location?
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  5. #5
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    The guy shoulda used his hacking skills for good, not bad. Maybe divert some US funds to my bank account?

    Or maybe just give GWB a income cut to 5 figures. (instead of 94948727282934)
    Sometimes the best view of heaven is from hell.

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  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Godlaus
    Bs flag is waving. Sorry, but school networks a lot more secure than you think they are.

    A team of experts who have gone to college and designed the program will pretty much outsmart any kid at a school. Sorry, but until you can back up your claim, I don't believe you.

    How did you get into the system from a remote location?
    It's probably a high school network. I know the one at my old HS wasn't exactly hard to get into. And typically school networks are connected to the Internet. So it's very possible that he got into it.

    And last I checked the President was paid $400,000 a year before taxes.
    [O o)O=\x/=O(o O]

    The things we do for girls who won't sleep with us.

    Patrick says:
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  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Quiggs
    It's probably a high school network. I know the one at my old HS wasn't exactly hard to get into. And typically school networks are connected to the Internet. So it's very possible that he got into it.
    As is most networks. But they can disable any outside activity trying to do something, such as a port ping, or registry change.

    And last I checked the President was paid $400,000 a year before taxes.
    WAAAAAAAAYYYYYY too much. Considering that all his living finances have been taking car of, he loses 8 years of his life and gets 3.2 million.
    Sometimes the best view of heaven is from hell.

    Hmm...oohh....Wow!! These are delectible! Good news, Flappy! I'm not going to kill you!

  8. #8
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    Would you want that job for anything less than $400,000 all expenses included? You're constantly in demand, everything you do is under a microscope, and when something goes wrong, it's all on you. I wouldn't do it for $3.2m a year.
    [O o)O=\x/=O(o O]

    The things we do for girls who won't sleep with us.

    Patrick says:
    dads is too long so it wont fit
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  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Quiggs
    Would you want that job for anything less than $400,000 all expenses included? You're constantly in demand, everything you do is under a microscope, and when something goes wrong, it's all on you. I wouldn't do it for $3.2m a year.
    Lowering the monetary amount makes it so that you choose th job for the job. You want to make a difference in the world, and make it a better place. Money should have nothing to do having the job.
    Sometimes the best view of heaven is from hell.

    Hmm...oohh....Wow!! These are delectible! Good news, Flappy! I'm not going to kill you!

  10. #10
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    Can someone break into my school's computers and change my grades? Lol.
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  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by drakkie
    it is quite simple, if you have a bit of knowledge about it. i tried myself last year.i could easily break into the school network from home.i asked a teacher two days later (he runs it) and he said it was secured with the best they could get and afford they have never noticed me breaking in

    this shows again that secret stuff is not secured enough as it should.imo this guy should not be punished, but should get a job as a security expert
    Give him a month and teh fbi will be all over him

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  12. #12
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    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.
    whats the point, realy? 70 years? unless your 5 years old you dont have any hope for free life anyway. May aswel be sentanced to death.

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    Because of this I can now surf the internat with impunity

  14. #14
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    They still having found the air aparant lol
    "Just a matter of time i suppose"

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