The Right To Hack

Computer crimes are no different from other crimes, and computer criminals should be held responsible for the damage they cause.

I don’t believe computer hackers should get the same prison sentence as a murderer or rapist, but it’s imperative that they be punished for their crimes. Prison sentences for manslaughter and sexual assault aren’t very long to begin with. The sentences should be extended for the more serious crimes and hackers should then be given a 10 year sentence for the things they did, it’s not right for both to be at the same level. Computer hackers don’t kill people, they mess up machines. Yes, they breach privacy and spread viruses, but they don’t literally go up to someone and shoot them or rape innocent people. I’m not saying what they do isn’t a crime though, as I stated before they shouldn’t get away with anything.

Another thing that bothers me is there shouldn’t be ‘famous’ hackers. I took the following from the Computer Crime link on InfoWeb: (http://www.infoweblinks.com/content/computercrime.htm)

• “The news media often popularizes these types of crimes, making celebrities out of famous ‘hackers’. Computer crime is a popular topic, inspiring many Web sites, magazine articles, and television programs.”

When these people are brought to the level of fame, it just encourages other hackers and exploits the problem, it doesn’t create any solutions. When hackers see such a light prison sentence, small fines, and community service in turn for fame, it’s not going to deter them from the crimes they are going to commit. The media is our worst enemy in cases such as widespread viruses. They reveal who the authors of viruses are and automatically these people are REWARDED with fame for committing internet crimes, they are infamous to victims, but to hackers they are like martyrs. Either way, the authors are in the lime light. I’m pretty surprised to see that there is an article on TLC’s website about a “Hacker’s Hall of Fame” (http://tlc.discovery.com/convergence/hackers/bio/bio.html). I will list a few computer hackers that TLC describes.

Richard Stallman:

Handle: None (nothing to hide!)

Claim to fame: A hacker of the old school, Stallman walked in off the street and got a job at MIT's Artificial Intelligence Lab in 1971. He was an undergraduate at Harvard at the time. Disturbed that software was viewed as private property, Stallman later founded the Free Software Foundation.

First encountered a computer: In 1969, at the IBM New York Scientific Center. He was 16 years old.

Unusual tools: In the 1980s Stallman left MIT's payroll but continued to work from an office at MIT. Here he created a new operating system called GNU — short for GNU's Not Unix.

Little-known fact: Recipient of a $240,000 MacArthur Foundation genius grant.

Current status: Richard Stallman has just published his latest book, Free Software, Free Society: Selected Essays of Richard M. Stallman, available through GNU Press.

Kevin Mitnick:

Handle: Condor

Claim to fame: The first hacker to have his face immortalized on an FBI "Most Wanted" poster. His status as a repeat offender — a teenage hacker who couldn't grow up — earned Mitnick the nickname "The Lost Boy of Cyberspace."

First encountered a computer: As a teenager. Mitnick couldn't afford a computer, so he hung out in a Radio Shack store. He used the store's demo models and modem to dial other computers.

Unusual tools: During the three years he was on the lam, Mitnick used Internet Relay Chat (IRC) as a message drop and to communicate with his friends.

Little-known fact: Sentenced to a year in a residential treatment center, Mitnick enrolled in a 12-step program to rid himself of what a judge agreed was his "computer addiction."

Current status: Kevin Mitnick played himself in 2001's hacker documentary Freedom Downtime. He also appeared on ABC's Alias as a CIA computer whiz; to play the role, Mitnick was only allowed to use prop computers.

Vladimir Levin:

Handle: Unknown

Claim to fame: A graduate of St. Petersburg Tekhnologichesky University, this mathematician allegedly masterminded the Russian hacker gang that tricked Citibank's computers into spitting out $10 million. Arrested by Interpol at Heathrow Airport in 1995.

First encountered a computer: Unknown. Accused of using his office computer at AO Saturn, a St. Petersburg, Russia, computer firm, to break into Citibank.

Unusual tools: Along with a computer, computer games and disks, Russian police confiscated a camcorder, music speakers and a TV set from Levin's apartment.

Little-known fact: Levin claimed that one of the lawyers assigned to defend him was actually an FBI agent.

Current status: Vladimir Levin fought extradition to the United States for two years, but eventually lost his case. He was sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to pay Citibank $240,015 (his share from the heist). Citibank has since begun using the Dynamic Encryption Card, a security system so tight that no other financial institution in the world has it.

These people are examples of how computer hackers are criminals, but yet most of the hackers listed on the website are alive and well, and hold pretty good jobs. Although they were punished for certain things they did, they still got away with it. There needs to be a reform on prison sentences and the punishments computer hackers get away with. They shouldn’t be glorified or praised for their work.