Comments on: U.S. 'threatened' alleged NASA hacker, defense says

London court hears that Gary McKinnon was told he would "fry" in New Jersey unless he cooperated with U.S. authorities.

[Graham Fluet]

Wouldn't it be better...

if he sued NASA for using an insecure system (Windows)?

[ferreiae]

Poor baby...

the US should appologize and walk away with their tail between their legs. Forgive me, but if more people were threatened with their butts being beat in, maybe criminals would think twice.

[Marcus Westrup]

Perhaps,

But a death threat is still a death threat (even if a bogus one).
To prove my point - try to make a death threat against the President, even in jest. Then see how seriously people take it; it?s a line you don?t want to cross.

[Pauldsu]

Crook

The only thread is people like him..........lock him up with the killer and rapist. People like him make me sick.

[rcrusoe]

This is so sad

First the government websites are so poorly secured that a self confessed "bumbling computer nerd" can walk right in.

Then THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE
EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA Alexandria Division publishes the indictment as a pdf with all the server ip addresses "hidden" with a black layer. All you have to do is copy the pages and paste them into a text file to read everything.

It's enough to make you wonder if the inmates might be running the asylum.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4715612.stm

[DougDbug]

Death penalty for hacking????

Ummmm... You can't get the death penalty for hacking/cracking! I assume his lawyer was present for the negotiations, and the lawyer should have known that.

You can't even get the death penalty for run-of-the-mill murder. It requires "special circumstances". If you kill the teller while robbing a bank, that is NOT bad enough!

Here in California, the list of special circumstances includes things like murder for hire, mass/multiple murder, murder of a child, and murder by torture (and probably some others).

[jdbwar07]

Probably

Well, in Texas at least you could. Even though that isn't premeditated murder, I think it has to do with committing murder while commiting a felony or violent crime or something. These crimes are state laws so really it would depend on what state the crime was committed in.

[mveronica]

Bitter government

Seems to me like the government is just bitter and embarassed about the fact that a company like NASA suffered a security breach. What does that say about the US Government?

Here's an article you can read about Government security, or lack thereof...
http://www.essentialsecurity.com/news.htm?id=200

[Oldwolf63]

hmmm

Should Not have done the crime if he is unwilling to face the music in US court !!!

[dogbreath99762]

NASA Hacker Mckinnon

Just the fact that the US is offering a reduced sentance proves that the damage done was minimal, if they wern't so anal about witholding information which the people have every right to know this kind of stuff might not happen, maybe the Network Administrators at NASA should do jail time for not protecting these alleged secrets.

[Schratboy]

Right to know?

Weren't so anal about witholding information people have a right to know? Could you be any more stupid?

Please explain and answer the following because it's the reader's right to know:
Sexual orientation
Total annual income
Number of flushes per day and average GPF
Felonies alledged and convictions

Very quickly the vapidity of your post reveals that you are in more jeapordy than the NASA administrators.

[ejevo]

Let's split the difference...

How about he deploys to Iraq for a year and helps the Iraqi government setup their networks?