Does the punishment fit the crime for "Internet Prosecutions"?

[IAmAllanShore]

It seems a tad bit "knee-jerk" when looking at some of the punishment. I don't think that anyone would say that some of these folk should get off scott-free, but at the same time, domestic abuse = probation at worst around here.

http://cybercrime.gov/cccases.html

-Allan

 

[CrazyTech]

I didn't really have time to completely scan the list but I did look over a couple cases. I've been on the bad side of several hackers (aka. vandalizers) in the past. If they do it once and get away with nothing or a slap on the hand, they'll continue to do it.

 

[namethreads.com]

Looking at the link it seems the loss to CORPORATIONS is a reason given for the sentences. I guess corporations have a lot of power.

 

[Troubled1]

As the old saying goes...."If you can't do the time, don't do the crime" I think they deserve whatever they get.

 

[CrazyTech]

Looking at the link it seems the loss to CORPORATIONS is a reason given for the sentences. I guess corporations have a lot of power.

Agreed.

Power = Money

At least in this case. The thing is most corporations have the money to pursue a hacker or vandal whereas a single individual or "mom & pop" small internet business might not. I go back to my own experiences with a previous company - we were hit hard but there was no way we had enough money to pursue the kid hacker nor was what we'd get out of him worth it.

 

[jberryhill]

I'm not sure what specific cases you looked at. Punishing one domestic abuser doesn't have much of an effect on another prospectie domestic abuser, as that sort of criminal activity is driven by psychological disorder more than consciously directed rational behavior. That's not to say there aren't psychotic hackers...

I started messing around with computers as a teenager in the 1970's. Things were very different then. High schools in my area taught computer classes using teletypewriter terminals that connected at 300 baud via audio modem to a PDP 11/70 at the local university. If you were one of those kids who was motivated to figure out how to mess around with the system for amusement, then you'd be recruited by the university to help administer and run the system. The notion of committing a "crime" merely by pushing buttons, writing programs, and fooling around with computers would have really never crossed our minds.

But looking at the kind of damage that "unidentified juvenile" was able to do in one of those cases really drives home what a different world it is now.

 

[primacomputer]

I don’t see anything particularly heavy handed there. As others have noticed (and misinterpreted as corporate greed) the sentences generally correlate with the damage done.
domestic abuse = probation
breaking+entering+theft = jail time
most of those cases != domestic abuse

 

[Dave_Z]

Ahhhh...one of my "favorite" cases is in the list:

http://cybercrime.gov/mitnick.htm

KEVIN MITNICK SENTENCED TO NEARLY FOUR YEARS IN PRISON;
COMPUTER HACKER ORDERED TO PAY RESTITUTION
TO VICTIM COMPANIES WHOSE SYSTEMS WERE COMPROMISED

Look where he is now.

Too bad not everyone follows the "same path"...wherever that is...

 

[stscac]

I think they deserve whatever they get.

Not always, many of these "hackers/crackers" get off easily.

Ahhhh...one of my "favorite" cases is in the list:

http://cybercrime.gov/mitnick.htm

KEVIN MITNICK SENTENCED TO NEARLY FOUR YEARS IN PRISON;
COMPUTER HACKER ORDERED TO PAY RESTITUTION
TO VICTIM COMPANIES WHOSE SYSTEMS WERE COMPROMISED

Look where he is now.

Too bad not everyone follows the "same path"...wherever that is...

Many of the best "hackers" that get caught are hired by companies, corporations or government(s) just like in the case of Kevin Mitnick.

Check out these links:
C|NET News, Nov 4, 2005 - Mitnick on Hackings Evolution
Kevin Mitnick Security Consulting, LLC

-Steve