[ISN] Expert challenges UFO hacker's $700k bill

From: InfoSec News <alerts_at_private>
Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:53:24 -0500 (CDT)
http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2009/09/22/237807/expert-challenges-ufo-hackers-700k-bill.htm

By Mark Ballard
ComputerWeekly.com
22 Sep 2009

The US inflated the $700,000 bill for damages it slapped on UFO hacker 
Gary McKinnon by stuffing it with costs incurred for patching the gaping 
holes the hacker had exposed in its computer security, according to a 
document filed with the Supreme Court.

The US had not taken reasonable steps to protect its security and now 
expects McKinnon to pick up the bill, said an expert witness statement 
made in McKinnon's ongoing appeal against a US extradition order.

Peter Sommer, professor of security at the London School of Economics, 
said damage assessments of computer security breaches should consider 
"whether the victims have taken reasonable steps to limit the damage".

McKinnon had used Remotely Anywhere, a software tool, to hack US 
military computers in search of UFO secrets. The 42-year-old faces 
extradition after being accused of hacking into 97 US government 
computers causing $700,000 of damage.

[...]


________________________________________ 
Did a friend send you this? From now on, be the 
first to find out! Subscribe to InfoSec News 
http://www.infosecnews.org
Received on Tue Sep 22 2009 - 22:53:24 PDT

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.2.0 : Tue Sep 22 2009 - 23:03:39 PDT