Hacker Gets 30 Months Prison Term for Infecting 72,000 PCs

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the Tom's Hardware community: where nearly two million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
Status
Not open for further replies.

deksman

Distinguished
Aug 29, 2011
233
19
18,685
[citation][nom]azraa[/nom]Too bad guys like him go to prison.Don't get me wrong, he deserves the time, but I mean that he has, evidently, some talent programming and detecting exploits. That is the kind of talent that software companies look. He just followed a coward's path.[/citation]

That's assuming of course that the hacker in question never even attempted to get a job with any of the software companies.

You do realize we live in an economy where you need money in order to survive... and the companies you suggestdd often require 'higher education' (which isn't a guarantee of getting a job or that a person upon finishing it will be all the better for it) along with years of experience?

There are many self-taught individuals who do have the skills/knowledge, but none of the above requirements (or the ability to afford a university - you kinda need money for that, not to mention to survive), and they end up applying those skills wherever possible just so they can get paid and live.

Since we don't know the full background of this individual (at least, the article never explains it), it would be a bit idiotic to make assumptions he 'followed a coward's path'.

Taking into account the socio-economic system we live in (which is demented to say the least), its no wonder people are forced to take actions which under different circumstances they might not take.
 

jerm1027

Distinguished
Apr 20, 2011
404
0
18,810
[citation][nom]blazorthon[/nom]Digital piracy is still a crime. The punishment for it is generally far beyond reason, but that just means that the punishment should be brought down to a reasonable level, not averted entirely.[/citation]
Ever burned a CD for a friend? Well congrats on the Piracy! How much prison time do you think that's worth?

The term "Digital Piracy" needs to be redefined before actually being criminalized. Those %$@&ers that are on corners selling unreleased bootlegs for $5-$10 should definitely get time, but the average person who "pirates" is hardly a criminal.
 

cookoy

Distinguished
Aug 3, 2009
1,324
0
19,280
the 2004 incident should serve as a warning that hacking is a criminal act. But some guys are slow to learn and deserve full time in Jail school
 
He's nothing special, talented or not. Don't cut off his fingers; that would turn him from a criminal into a parasite. Put his head in a bucket to catch the mess and pull the trigger. Waste no more time, effort, or resources on this person. GAME OVER.
 

freggo

Distinguished
Nov 22, 2008
2,019
0
19,780
[citation][nom]memadmax[/nom]One of countless hackers out there.If you get hacked it's ur own damn fault...People live in their own dream world bubble sometimes, it pisses me off and needs to be popped...[/citation]

You are one of those who also claim it to be the woman's fault if she gets raped ?
If my front door is unlocked does it give you the right to enter at will ?

 

freggo

Distinguished
Nov 22, 2008
2,019
0
19,780
[citation][nom]azraa[/nom]Too bad guys like him go to prison.Don't get me wrong, he deserves the time, but I mean that he has, evidently, some talent programming and detecting exploits. That is the kind of talent that software companies look. He just followed a coward's path.[/citation]

Yeah, because the Kids at Microsoft, Google, the FBI, CIA, NSA and McGee at NCIS don't know what they are doing.

Make it -of course- part of the sentence to reveal exactly how he did what he did.
And 30 month for a repeat offender is not enough as he clearly did not learn anything from being caught before.

 
[citation][nom]jerm1027[/nom]Ever burned a CD for a friend? Well congrats on the Piracy! How much prison time do you think that's worth?The term "Digital Piracy" needs to be redefined before actually being criminalized. Those %$@&ers that are on corners selling unreleased bootlegs for $5-$10 should definitely get time, but the average person who "pirates" is hardly a criminal.[/citation]

I didn't say that it was a major crime, just that it's still a crime. It's breaking the law, therefor a crime.
 

freggo

Distinguished
Nov 22, 2008
2,019
0
19,780
[citation][nom]Off with the fingers[/nom]Cut his fingers off so he can't use a keyboard again.[/citation]
[citation][nom]jerm1027[/nom]Ever burned a CD for a friend? Well congrats on the Piracy! How much prison time do you think that's worth?The term "Digital Piracy" needs to be redefined before actually being criminalized. Those %$@&ers that are on corners selling unreleased bootlegs for $5-$10 should definitely get time, but the average person who "pirates" is hardly a criminal.[/citation]

19 Minutes !

He fudged with 70,000 computers and 70,000 lives.
He got 30 month, that translates into 19 minutes each.

How would you feel if it turns out YOU where one of those 70,000 ?


 

freggo

Distinguished
Nov 22, 2008
2,019
0
19,780
[citation][nom]carver_g[/nom]Totally depends. If you get hacked by some random drifter just looking to steal credit card data, that is definitely your fault for not faithfully conforming to PCI or FISMA standards. But if Anonymous or some other organized group is hell bent on hacking you out of revenge or whatever reason, there is absolutely nothing you can do about it except unplug your LAN firewall from your perimeter network switch.[/citation]

If I want YOUR credit card info I will get it. No matter how you secure your PC, wallet and front door.
How? That depends on the circumstances. I'd have to check into your life, your habits etc. Than come up with a plan. There is ALWAYS a way (and does not have to involve a PC); i.e. social engineering but it would be a 'one person' deal; obviously not possible for 70,000 people.

Point I am trying to make, is that there is no total security; but there is a BIG difference between some kid trying to fudge with you or your computer to tick you off and an Organized Criminal service for hire.
 

f-14

Distinguished
make this SOB remove his stuff and fix the damage he helped create while serving time in order to avoid the bullet to his temple that should be mandatory if he doesn't.
that's real justice
 
[citation][nom]f-14[/nom]make this SOB remove his stuff and fix the damage he helped create while serving time in order to avoid the bullet to his temple that should be mandatory if he doesn't.that's real justice[/citation]

Could you trust him with such a task? If he was able to get this operation of his running, then chances are that he'd find a way to cause some more damage if given the chance.
 

c0oim4n

Distinguished
Dec 15, 2010
103
0
18,690
He should get nothing. It's the other people's fault for being susceptible to such an exploit, and not protecting themselves somehow.
 
[citation][nom]c0oim4n[/nom]He should get nothing. It's the other people's fault for being susceptible to such an exploit, and not protecting themselves somehow.[/citation]

freggo's comment here applies well to your particular type of BS.

[citation][nom]freggo[/nom]You are one of those who also claim it to be the woman's fault if she gets raped ?If my front door is unlocked does it give you the right to enter at will ?[/citation]

They may have failed to protect themselves properly, but that doesn't give him the right to break the law and abuse them. freggo's next comment applies well too:


 

jalek

Distinguished
Jan 29, 2007
524
1
18,995
He was investigated before, but continued doing what he was doing since nothing happened to him.
30 months should be plenty of time to reconsider his choices in life.

Had the 2004 charges resulted even in something minor like 90 days, he may have gotten the hint then and not done this, but the prosecutor was probably holding off for stronger charges.
 

TeraMedia

Distinguished
Jan 26, 2006
904
1
18,990
Geez, 19 minutes per victim. I say, queue the victims up on a schedule and give each one 15 minutes with the guy. Not to hurt him, mind... just to yell at him a bit and tell him what he did to them was wrong. And give him the option of accepting a sentence of 2 hours per victim instead. After he's been awake for 6 days, we'll see how long his sentence is.

seriously, though, DA=Fail on this one.
 

master9716

Distinguished
Jul 27, 2006
271
0
18,780
30 months for that seems Crazy ! Considering 90 percent of computers in the world have malware and viruses in them . only 72,000 wow thats a low number in the virus malware world. he should have got a lot less for first time offense
 

lamorpa

Distinguished
Apr 30, 2008
1,195
0
19,280
[citation][nom]LaHawzel[/nom]Meanwhile, pirating one song lands you with five years in jail if the RIAA finds out...Law enforcement needs to spend their time tracking down actual malicious criminals like this guy. Not random guys who just want to listen to some free music.[/citation]
It doesn't help when you make believe that listening and distributing is the same thing. The people prosecuted by the RIAA are distributing the music, sometimes for profit, not using it for their singular personal use (but it makes a much better (bitter) story if you claim the latter).
 

booyaah

Distinguished
Mar 17, 2006
171
0
18,690
You would think that someone who was caught doing the same thing in 2004 and got off on a technicality would be smart enough to realize that he is being watched now and to give up doing it anymore...

One of those dumb smart people.
 

nebun

Distinguished
Oct 20, 2008
2,840
0
20,810
only 30 months?....how about life in prison? wait how about execution...that will teach those punks to keep out of others people computers....sometimes there needs to be an example
 

lamorpa

Distinguished
Apr 30, 2008
1,195
0
19,280
[citation][nom]thefizzle656[/nom]Hope he enjoys some good old-fashioned brown pushing (on the receiving end of course).[/citation]
Envious?
 
[citation][nom]master9716[/nom]30 months for that seems Crazy ! Considering 90 percent of computers in the world have malware and viruses in them . only 72,000 wow thats a low number in the virus malware world. he should have got a lot less for first time offense[/citation]

... It wasn't his first offense, you don't care that he screwed with tens of thousands of people, and you think that a very light sentence such as a mere 30 months is too much for the bastard? He should have gotten at least five years considering that hes been pulling this crap for about a decade.
 

Christopher1

Distinguished
Aug 29, 2006
666
3
19,015
[citation][nom]aftcomet[/nom]Good. One less criminal bastard hiding behind a monitor.[/citation]

Yes, but the fact is that people who do assault with serious physical injury in real life don't get this much time in prison. It shows that our priorities are skewed at the best.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.