[ISN] Japan cancels hacking contest

From: InfoSec News (isnat_private)
Date: Mon Jul 28 2003 - 03:36:41 PDT

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    Forwarded from: William Knowles <wkat_private>
    
    http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,6823764%255E15318,00.html
    
    Correspondents in Tokyo
    July 28, 2003
    
    JAPAN canceled a national computer-hacking contest scheduled for next 
    month after the government came under fire as encouraging cybercrime, 
    a government official said.
    
    The Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry had planned the August 11-12 
    contest as a way of fostering computer expertise among high school and 
    vocational college students. Teams of up to three students would have 
    tried to hack into opponents' computer systems, while protecting their 
    own. 
    
    But after receiving a flood of angry phone calls and mail, the 
    ministry decided to scrap the "Security Koshien" - a reference to the 
    stadium where national high school baseball tournaments are held - 
    ministry spokesman Takashi Kume said. 
    
    The ministry had said the contest was devised in response to growing 
    concerns over computer security. Although the computers would have 
    used Windows 2000 software, competitors could have drawn on other 
    operating systems, such as Linux. 
    
    Under Japanese law, computer users convicted of hacking into computer 
    systems or downloading files without authorisation face up to one year 
    in prison or a fine of 500,000 yen ($US4200). 
    
    
    
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