[Pixalo]

A British man has lost his High Court fight against extradition to the US for allegedly carrying out the "biggest military computer hack of all time".

Glasgow-born Gary McKinnon, of north London, is accused of gaining access to 97 US military and Nasa computers.

Home Secretary John Reid granted the US request to extradite him for trial.

At the High Court in London, his lawyers argued the 41-year-old had been subjected to "improper threats" and the move would breach his human rights.

His lawyers had argued that, if extradited, he would face an unknown length of time in pre-trial detention, with no likelihood of bail.

He would also face a long prison sentence - "in the region of 45 years" - and may not be allowed to serve part of the sentence at home in the UK, his lawyers had said.

But, on Tuesday, Lord Justice Maurice Kay and Mr Justice Goldring dismissed his legal challenge, saying they could not find any grounds for appeal.


Ben Cooper, for Mr McKinnon, said his client would now seek to make an appeal against his extradition at the House of Lords.

"We will certainly be applying for this court to certify a point of law of public importance and to grant leave," he said.

Speaking later, solicitor Jeffrey Anderson said alleged threats by US authorities, including one from New Jersey prosecutors that Mr McKinnon "would fry", would be among issues raised.

That had been a "chilling and intimidating" reference to capital punishment by the electric chair, he added.

It now looked as though the US would try to prosecute Mr McKinnon as a cyber-terrorist, Mr Anderson said.

"This could lead to him spending the rest of his life in prison in the US, with repatriation to serve his sentence in his home country denied as punishment for contesting his extradition."

Mr McKinnon has never denied that he accessed the computer networks of a wide number of US military institutions between February 2001 and March 2002.

Mr McKinnon, arrested in November 2002, has always maintained that he was motivated by curiosity and that he only managed to get into the networks because of lax security.

Source : BBC Feed

[Cenobite]

Im unsure here.

1) He acted illegally, doesnt matter why he did that, he did it.
2) I think the US have ridiculous laws in this respect that arent in anyway realistic or right. You can get less time for killing someone than accessing someone elses computer? Please come on. Lax security didnt help really, they made it too easy, and yes he probably did them a favour showing their holes. He still shouldnt have done it.

So yes I agree because he did it, bang to rights, deserves to be punished.
However I dont agree, that he should serve 45 years for it and I dont think the americans intend to be fair. There have already been threats by prosecutors to "fry" him. He is getting a massive term before he has even been tried.

[Dave]

Kinda feel he's going to be made an example of, so it will get out of hand

[_MB_]

No fear. People are dying, the energy and resources could be better spent. I would assume NASA's changed their routers from "admin/admin" now. What good will putting him in jail do?

[Boofers]

Haven't heard of the man why would he do such a thing, anybody with the ability knows you don,t do it,,,,knowing the government here,,they will put him in jail,,give him a differen't name and put him to work doing their bidding. When his time is up,,away he goes,,to get a movie contract and become a gazillionire. He will only get time for how aggressive they feel he was getting into their systems. Of course what do I know,,,I am just the little guy.

[ralph]

they are probably pi**ed at the fact that they spent millions of pounds on security and one lone guy made them look bloody stupid!!!!....
I take my hat off to the guy that took balls!! Trouble is they have paid out loads of money for these so called security experts to say that their system is safe now they have been proved it is'nt. If the guy had phoned the pentagon and said "i believe your security is naf" they would have laughed at him. He goes and proves it he is a bloody criminal???... Personally i think they should hire the bloke and make sure their system is secure! Reminds me of a case of a security expert who made a point of attacking "hackers" at every point saying they were no good so a "hacker" cracked his security system...He He He. "hackers" provide a service to the computing world because they highlight the problems with systems that have not been tested properly(windows for example) Many of them just test security systems and that is the real challenge. I dont agree with the virus writers and other scum that walk this earth but they are not hackers. Some hackers are paid good money to test systems across the country and many started off like this guy. Some dodgy so called security experts have even broken into systems and damaged systems to drum up business and then blame the little toerags and show the need for expensive security software etc. Come on U.S.A give the bloke a bloody medal not a prison sentance it could have been real terrorists at the end of the keyboard not an ally. You have been given a second chance to get your system fixed!!!!....

[Dave]

Originally Posted by ralph

. Personally i think they should hire the bloke and make sure their system is secure! Reminds me of a case of a security expert who made a point of attacking "hackers" at every point saying they were no good so a "hacker" cracked his security system...He He He.

I read something similar about a top security expert chasing down the top hacker in the US. The hacker managed to hack in to the security guys laptop & ran some program that crashed his hard disk

Re your comments on employing hackers to help make things safer, here in the UK back in the early 90's car crime was rife. So a car security firm put a Ford Sierra Cosworth (very sought after, with it's top security system fitted) up as a prize, if anyone could break in to the car & start it. Within days a group of students study electronics cracked it & won the car. The firm immediately employed the guys You can't get a better test than that for new employees

[Soupdragon]

Anyone who risks the lives of others should be penalised!
Quite why he can't be tried here alludes me.

[Boofers]

Now that you've made me aware of this fellow, I saw him mentioned on the evening news. They said that his lawyers where appealing right now and that he said he was looking for hidden UFO information and that was that.. Maybe the guy had an experience he hasn't revealed.

[namllihs]

One man's terrorist is another mans freedom fighter

The actual crime is victimless, does this make it any less criminal?

I would think the guy knew what he was doing was 'wrong' and acted with deliberate intent.

[fionaB]

have read this with interest as this is the first I have heard of it............

my views are simple.... he carried out an illegal act towards a foreign country. he should be extradited and SHOULD be made to serve whatever term THEY impose and no wya should he be sent back here for us to p[ay for his keep when it was the American courts that sentance him.
Victimless crime.... is there REALLY such a thing.......... i dont think so.......

I completely disagree with criminals being treated with kid gloves...... he did the crime let him do the time

Fi

[_MB_]

Originally Posted by fionaB

Victimless crime.... is there REALLY such a thing.......... i dont think so.......

I completely disagree with criminals being treated with kid gloves...... he did the crime let him do the time

Fi

First - of course there are victimless crimes.

Second - criminal? "he did the crime"? He's not even got on a plane yet let alone been tried for anything!

[Steve]

He has admitted doing it so yes he is a criminal.

I think that since he is aware of the crime, aware of the country that the computers were in and is obviously smart enough to understand what he was doing then he should be tried under that countries laws and if convicted, be made to carry out that countries punishment.

A crime is still a crime even if nobody was hurt. If you break the laws (and in this case do so knowingly) then I have very little sympathy and fully support that he should be tried and carry out any court set punishments if convicted.

[Dabhand16]

Originally Posted by Steve

A crime is still a crime even if nobody was hurt. If you break the laws (and in this case do so knowingly) then I have very little sympathy and fully support that he should be tried and carry out any court set punishments if convicted.

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