Recently Arrested.

[MiracleGrwProxy]

Re: Recently Arrested.

1a) First hacker convicted for Estonia attacks
1b) Estonian Hacker Fined For Cyber Attack

2) French banker accused of operating a multibillion-dollar fraudulent trading scheme apparently knew Microsoft Office, Visual Basic, and little else.

[Thorn]

Re: Recently Arrested.

I just heard about this one today. It's a stupid stunt, but pretty funny anyway.

'Nuclear' TV hackers face trial

A group of Czech artists who inserted a nuclear explosion into a national weather broadcast have been told by a prosecutor they could be sent to jail.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7171374.stm

[sharxbyte]

Re: Recently Arrested.

I dont like these types of people. they give bad names to hackers, black trenchcoats, and pyromaniacs... not to mention teenagers...*laughs*

but they are funny to read about =)

[LosT]

Re: Recently Arrested.

From a purely technical standpoint- it is scary (as Deviant pointed out) that such 'access' was in the clear...I would like to see what protocol/encryption etc was in place- that would either make the tech side 1.a lot more impressive *OR* 2. a lot less impressive-

1057

[Greyhatter]

Re: Recently Arrested.

"He clearly did not think about the consequences of his actions." I Suspect he thought it would be the coolest prank in the universe and thought himself so cool to figure it out. I think I also read he even wrote a school paper on it prior to doing it.

Where were the parents, the school teachers, and the especially the teacher who read this kids hack paper? 14 yo kids on average are not supposed to think for themselves at this level (unless incredibly bright or gifted) and that is perhaps why we do not let them drive cars in the US until 16? He's probably not only smart enough to drive at 14 but even savvy enough to hot wire his choice of ride at a moments notice. I contend that this kid was plenty bright and in fact knew exactly what he was doing and the potential outcome but probably thought he would not get caught. The question is what's the penalty after the shrinks prove to the Polish courts that he in fact knows right from wrong at his age and the deaths he could have caused?

[Nikita]

Re: Recently Arrested.

Impressed with the hack, saddened about the casualties, disappointed in parents who failed to knock any sense into his head, and disgusted with anyone who implemented a control system for 20-ton machines that operates over in-the-clear IR.

I couldn't have said it better myself, which I guess was why I didn't. It also doesn't surprise me that his teachers were quoted saying he is " a model pupil and an electronics genius" and that "He clearly did not think about the consequences of his actions." I Suspect he thought it would be the coolest prank in the universe and thought himself so cool to figure it out. I think I also read he even wrote a school paper on it prior to doing it. But I cant help but wonder though, who would have believed him? Do you think he didn't have a proper channel to take the 14yr old seriously? Would anyone have listened to you? Any pre-teen experiences like this among us? on a smaller scale obviously..

[Deviant Ollam]

Re: Recently Arrested.

I don't know if I should be disgusted or impressed with the kid....

Impressed with the hack, saddened about the casualties, disappointed in parents who failed to knock any sense into his head, and disgusted with anyone who implemented a control system for 20-ton machines that operates over in-the-clear IR.

[Nikita]

Re: Recently Arrested.

http://www.computerweekly.com/Articl...am-network.htm

Schoolboy hacker derails Poland's tram network
Tram

Author:
Ian Grant
Posted:
10:43 11 Jan 2008

Polish police yesterday arrested a 14-year-old schoolboy for endangering public safety when he hacked the Lodz tram system and disrupted traffic.

Using a TV-style remote control he built himself, Adam Dabrowski allegedly changed the points on the city's tram system. This derailed some tram cars, causing them to crash and injure up to 12 passengers.

Honestly, I don't know if I should be disgusted or impressed with the kid....

[Greyhatter]

Re: Recently Arrested.

I'm not defending the media any more than you. I think they're full of shit.

In this society, emotion rules objectivity. Sensationalism defeats reason. People listen to the voice that's shouting the loudest, that has something to offer them- whether it be sex, money, or the feeling of validation when they band up with others who share their opinions. The mass media is successful because it panders to all of these truths.

Beautifully put!

[Samurai Drifter]

Re: Recently Arrested.

I'm not defending the media any more than you. I think they're full of shit.

But like it or not, it's their voice that matters over ours to most people, and so if they say that "hacking" is bad, society will believe them. And if society believes them then, for all intents and purposes, the definition of the word has changed.

In this society, emotion rules objectivity. Sensationalism defeats reason. People listen to the voice that's shouting the loudest, that has something to offer them- whether it be sex, money, or the feeling of validation when they band up with others who share their opinions. The mass media is successful because it panders to all of these truths.

[Greyhatter]

Re: Recently Arrested.

But to the majority of people, the media represents the voice of truth, alerting them to important issues and keeping them safe. Thus, if the media defines a "hacker" as a computer criminal, most of society will adopt that definition.

Yes and I hope no. The media serves its purpose for the majority, however, if we are not going to attempt to redefine the term "hacker" then we accept its dark meaning over any good meaning. I make a daily effort to tell others about my hacking ventures "in simple terms" who's interests (and mine) are their own security. I define for them the inaccuracies of "cracking" and "hacking" as it's misused by the media in an effort to clarify that "hacking" is not usually a bad thing and that if it were not for our skills others would not have the security measures in place to protect themselves from many threats out here, at work, and at home. If you cannot say you hack with pride and defend that with dignity and clarity then you have accepted "incorrectly" hacking as a bad practice. The media lacks the intelligence to redefine clearly many terms they spew on a daily basis. How many times do they use the word "anxious" when the correct term is "eager" when describing someone in the news who is not anxious at all but is happily excited instead. Anxious is the root of anxiety which defined is restless uncomfortable nervousness. They also pronounce incorrectly words they cannot define like "vwalla". I've never heard anyone in the media pronounce it correctly. They say "vwalla" without even pronouncing the "v" which is NOT silent. They say "walla" instead. I see a terrible dumbed down media today that lacks far more than understanding the term "hacker". If this is the media you're defending that informs the masses then I guess the average IQ in the US of 98 would be just about on par with that.

[Samurai Drifter]

Re: Recently Arrested.

This is why 'the media" is entertainment and NOT news. For this reason the media is never to be respected for accuracy, truth, or integrity.

By people like us, no. But to the majority of people, the media represents the voice of truth, alerting them to important issues and keeping them safe. Thus, if the media defines a "hacker" as a computer criminal, most of society will adopt that definition.

For all intents and purposes then, it has become true. Calling a hacker anything else is really just arguing over semantics- the societal definition of hacker is a bad one. Though I wish this weren't the case.

[TheCotMan]

Re: Recently Arrested.

Though Media can force changes in the common definition of words, they are not immutable to being changed.

Consider the policing of how certain words are used by various special interest groups.

As an example, the word, "homeless," is almost never used to describe someone who is without a home, if they commit a crime. Instead, such people are assigned the label of, "drifter," or "vagrant."

Through enforcement of word use in the media, "protected words," help various causes avoid negative association.

If the word, "homeless," were used equally for criminals without homes and for people without homes that are not criminals, but have hit hard time, and people with mental problems on the streets, advocates for, "helping the homeless," would have a more difficult time selling their idea. People would (rightly or wrongly -- no judgment here, and no politics) make an association: "crime follows homelessness." (This kid of association is a powerful influence for many humans that don't understand correlation is not causation.)

Similar kinds of word protection can lead to changes over time. For example, Indian to Native American, to Indigenous People, back to Indian, then to specific tribal name instead of a forced grouping of all their nations into one conglomerate.

Similar kinds of word protection have been found in crippled, disabled, handicapped, "special," disenabled, and differently-abled.

All of the above share special interest groups that put pressure on the media (and elsewhere) to only use their protected words where, "appropriate."

If you want to make, "Hacker," a protected word, then you have two things to resolve:
1) A Special Interest Group to work as the above, to make, "Hacker," a protected word.
2) An alternate to the word, "Cracker," since it has collision in the racial slur namespace, often used to refer to, "white trash," or white racists.

[Greyhatter]

Re: Recently Arrested.

The term "cracker" is not to be confused with "hacker". Hackers generally deplore cracking. However, as Eric Raymond, compiler of The New Hacker's Dictionary notes, some journalists ascribe break-ins to "hackers."

http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com...211852,00.html

http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com...212220,00.html

This is why 'the media" is entertainment and NOT news. For this reason the media is never to be respected for accuracy, truth, or integrity. Perhaps another reason why newspaper subscriptions nationwide are at an all time low while one rag fails after another (unplug and unsubscribe and they literally begin to go away) . The media's power is derived from any power you give it through your subscription and your agreement to buy from their corporate sponsors. The morons the media report on attempt to define culture through their behavior and not the other way around. One could say that the media's bias in reporting might influence cultures other than those living on a desert island. They also understand the more they repeat a lie the more likely its chance is of becoming "their" truth presented as entertainment value for you.

[Samurai Drifter]

Re: Recently Arrested.

Wireless hacker arrested in Rockhampton sting.
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news...135359431.html

This guys a "cracker" not a "hacker". Intelligence is the difference here. The media got it wrong again.

While I'd certainly like to agree, media defines culture, and thanks to them sensationalizing the word, "hacker" has become a blanket term for people who break the law using computers.