World's Biggest Hacker Held 631
Hieronymus Howard writes "The London Evening Standard is reporting that the "worlds biggest computer hacker" has been arrested in London.
Gary McKinnon, 39, was seized by the Met's extradition unit at his Wood Green home.
The unemployed former computer engineer is accused of causing the U.S. government $1 billion of damage by breaking into its most secure computers at the Pentagon and NASA. He is likely to be extradited to America to face eight counts of computer crime in 14 states and could be jailed for 70 years. Apparently he broke into U.S. military computers to hunt for evidence of a UFO cover-up."
Obligitory Slashdot Discussion (Score:5, Funny)
I don't believe that this guy is the world's biggest hacker. Have you seen Cowboy Neal??? Now that's big!
This guy was looking for UFOs. In Soviet Russia, UFOs look for you!
We all know that if he was an uber-hacker he would have created a Beowulf cluster of all the computers he hacked.
One billion in damages? That number has to be inflated. (Actually the article says 570000 pounds which is only about 1 Million US dollars according to my currency calculator [ostermiller.org])
Sweet Jesus. (Score:4, Funny)
If you do $1 Billion worth of damage just to look for UFO conspiracy information, you deserve to be locked up.
Although this could help his insanity plea.
This just in (Score:5, Funny)
Whoah (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Obligitory Slashdot Discussion (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Smart? Yes. A Nut? Perhaps. How about both? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:So... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:So... (Score:2, Funny)
A really fat nerd was the mental picture that came to mind first.
Re:World's biggest computer hacker (Score:4, Funny)
Photo of worlds biggest hacker finding UFOs (Score:3, Funny)
He looks kinda feminine to me...
Re:Obligitory Slashdot Discussion (Score:5, Funny)
Wow, that guy IS big.
Re:Don't they mean cracker? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:what? (Score:4, Funny)
He compromised over 3 Libraries of Congress worth of information, which costs the government such a large amount of money that, if stacked in $20 bills, it would be the size of four Volkswagen beetles. And if you don't know that it takes 1/4 billion in twenties to equeal a Volkswagen bug, then turn in your nerd card at the door.
Re:Don't they mean cracker? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Obligitory Slashdot Discussion (Score:2, Funny)
He Got The Wrong System (Score:5, Funny)
Re:what? (Score:3, Funny)
Hey! I'm one of those overpaid, shoddy techs, you insensitive clod!
Re:Say G'bye to Gary (Score:1, Funny)
Re:He Got The Wrong System (Score:5, Funny)
Halliburton (Score:0, Funny)
In unrelated news, the Bush administration has awarded a $1 billion no-bid contract to Halliburton to upgrade security for its most secure computers at the Pentagon and Nasa.
Re:Smart? Yes. A Nut? Perhaps. How about both? (Score:2, Funny)
Yeah, and insanity plea. Doen't mean he shouldn't do serious time, just that he should do it where they have nice soft walls, milk and cookies.
Ummmm, the round kind, with little bits of chocolate in them. The other kind are part of the alien plot to enslave us, but don't tell anyone or the MIBs will come for you.
Arrrrrrrrgh!
KFG
Re:"Most secure computers" - I doubt it (Score:2, Funny)
Re:what? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Free On Bail (BBC) (Score:5, Funny)
No, I'm New Here (Score:4, Funny)
It's a good thing he didn't download Eminem songs! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Smart? Yes. A Nut? Perhaps. How about both? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Obligitory Slashdot Discussion (Score:4, Funny)
Re:script kiddie technology? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:what? (Score:1, Funny)
One million dollars?
What's that.. about 20 quid these days?
You forgot the best bit : (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Don't they mean cracker? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Smart? Yes. A Nut? Perhaps. How about both? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Smart? Yes. A Nut? Perhaps. How about both? (Score:4, Funny)
In other news . . . (Score:4, Funny)
Re:"Most secure computers" - I doubt it (Score:3, Funny)
You've never worked for the government, have you ? It shows.
Believe, my lemming friend, and try to use those critical thinking skills every once in a while. The feds can hardly even define "really important", and certainly have a hard time keeping track of their own doings. Breaking into federal networks can't be too difficult, it's done all the time. This guy wasn't that good- he's been caught.
Re:Odd facts in this case (Score:1, Funny)
Dude, I don't think you're supposed to blab that.
Anyway, do I need to type the quotes?
Re:Obligitory Slashdot Discussion (Score:3, Funny)
For how much?
Re:Never? (Score:3, Funny)
Moral of the story... (Score:1, Funny)
Re:A Darwin Award nomination, say I! (Score:2, Funny)