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British teenager suspected of being mystery hacker who stole CIA boss emails
- stevetrewick 11y agoAlso in the UK press : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/12154592/British-teenager-suspected-of-being-a-mystery-hacker-who-stole-CIA-boss-emails.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/12154592/Britis... No doubt we'll shortly be hearing how we can't let him be extradited because Asperger.
- louthy 11y ago> No doubt we'll shortly be hearing how we can't let him be extradited because Asperger. Or because he's 15, perhaps?
- stevetrewick 11y agoNot how it works. "Age of wanted person; extradition is not possible if due to his age the person could not be convicted of the offence in the United Kingdom." http://www.cps.gov.uk/news/fact_sheets/extradition/ http://www.cps.gov.uk/news/fact_sheets/extradition/
- ryanlol 11y agoThat's not how the real world works. Go on, find an example of a minor being extradited overseas. The US wouldn't even request such a thing simply because of how bad it would look. They're already losing another hacking related extradition case, I doubt they'd take a third decade long legal battle that'll only lead to the extradition treaty being revised.
- a_bonobo 11y agoWhy would you extradite a 15-year old? England/Wales are special in that the age of criminal responsibility is at 10 (!!!), but until you're 18 special laws still apply
- madaxe_again 11y agoTo make an example of him, and to satisfy the embarrassment that elements of the CIA must be feeling. Oh, and spite.
- jackgavigan 11y agoThe UK's extradition policies are a joke. There's no reason Britons who hack into US target from the UK can't be tried here in the UK under the Computer Misuse Act. The only logical reason for extraditing someone for hacking would be if they went to the US to commit the crime, then returned to the UK before they could be apprehended. The whole McKinnon debacle is an embarrassment on a number of different levels.
- youngtaff 11y agoThe could be prosecuted in the UK but the 'advantage' of extraditing them is the US can then apply all sorts of pressure to get a plea bargain. (quicker you plea, quicker you get to go home…)
- stevetrewick 11y agoBut that's not the only logical reason, it's just the only one you happen to agree with. It's not illogical to suggest that a person being tried for an offence should be tried in the jurisdiction where the injury occurred. Disagreeable to many perhaps, but not illogical.
- ryanlol 11y agoIt seems rather illogical when the requested state already has laws that prohibit such acts against foreign entities. The UK has already set what they feel are the appropriate punishments for these crimes, how is it logical that a UK resident that hacks a US company faces a significantly more severe punishment than say a UK citizen that hacks a Finnish company?
- ryanlol 11y agoHow many UK residents have been extradited to the US on hacking charges?
- ryanlol 11y agoThere's 0 chance US is even going to request extradition.
- anon1385 11y agoWhat makes you say that? They've requested extradition in all the other similar cases I'm aware of. Most recently: https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2015/07/17/lauri-love-rearrested-faces-extradition-to-us-on-hacking-charges/ https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2015/07/17/lauri-love-rearr...
- ryanlol 11y agoLauri's case is distinctly different from this, not only because of the seriousness of the accusations but also because he isn't a minor. It would be quite extraordinary for the US to even request extradition of a 15 year old child, and even more so for the UK to agree to it.
- junto 11y agoHis age. The Home Secretary would block any request.
- madaxe_again 11y agoI think you're seriously underestimating those chances - they tried long and hard to get McKinnon extradited before May made some variety of back room deal - she isn't the type to be compassionate to someone over mental health issues. That and the climate has become more, not less, hysterical and reactionary in the past few years.
- ryanlol 11y agoMcKinnon was in his late thirties when his extradition was requested, and he was accused of far more serious crimes. This guy just hacked a couple of personal email accounts.
- madaxe_again 11y ago
- hartpuff 11y agoWhen the real reason he should not be extradited is because no self-respecting country should ever extradite its own citizens to another country.
- jbuzbee 11y agoUh, "ever"? How about when a man murders his girlfriend and her two children and then flees the UK? http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2016-01-10/ghana-intends-to-extradite-suspect-in-uk-actress-slaying http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2016-01-10/ghana-i...
- hartpuff 11y ago> Uh, "ever"? How about when a man murders his girlfriend and her two children and then flees the UK? If he's British then Ghana would not be extraditing one of its own citizens. If he is Ghanaian, then a court in Ghana could - and in the interests of healthy diplomatic reasons, would - try him, if provided with the evidence by the UK authorities.
- dang 11y agoWe changed the URL to that from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/12154592/British-teenager-suspected-of-being-a-mystery-hacker-who-stole-CIA-boss-emails.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/12154592/Britis... because it is a more substantive article. If there's a better URL, we can change it again.
- andy_ppp 11y agoI really hate these sort of laws, surely is on the CIA to not be easy to get access to this sort of stuff from a 15 year old kid. It's the same with banks lending to countries who are unable to repay, or CEOs never going to jail for aiding and abetting Mexican drug cartels. No one takes responsibility for their own stuff any more.
- kayoone 11y ago> surely is on the CIA to not be easy the get access to this sort of stuff from a 15 year old kid Just because you can throw a stone into a storefront and steal stuff, does not mean you are free to do that. Or are you arguing that just because it's the evil CIA, it's fine to hack them and leak tons of personal info (which potentially puts lifes in danger)
- TheOtherHobbes 11y agoThe argument is that CIA - which counts itself as part of the security services - ought to know at least a little about online security. >Just because you can throw a stone into a storefront and steal stuff, does not mean you are free to do that. There are parts of the world where tourists are warned about pickpockets. Of course pickpockets shouldn't pick pockets. But that's not the world we live in. Only a fool goes walking in those parts of the world without taking good precautions. And if you're an intelligence agent, that goes at least double.
- kayoone 11y agoSure, but again, just because something is possible and seen daily around the world does not mean it's legal or should not be prosecuted. Like someone else said, that is like a rapist blaming the victim for making it too easy.
- Tiksi 11y agoI don't think the argument is that they shouldn't be prosecuted for hacking the CIA, as much as that the CIA should also be prosecuted for having such shit security on important data. Personally I don't think drafting a new law for that is a good idea, but I can see how it could fall under gross negligence.
- throwaway_asjla 11y agoAnother white European dedicated to a Free Palestine. I wonder why Europeans are so humane
- basicplus2 11y agohell.. seriously.. if a 15 year old can hack your systems.. your systems are shit
- nitinreddy88 11y agothat's not the way you need to look. that 15yrs kid might be the most brilliant kid. Age and Talent are not related.
- azraomega 11y agoYeah... Most of personal systems suck, especially old people's personal systems... Like in this case, it's their own personal emails got hacked. Director probably don't even know how to setup 2 factor authentication and using the same password everywhere. One service got hacked, he's name and email is on the list with password. It happens clearance process is not well protected even today. So, yeah, its shit, it's just too easy... Then again, don't do it if you don't want to get caught. There are pretty good security "avengers" as well.
- viraptor 11y agoNot necessarily. One of the first format string exploits was created by a 16 year old. Luca Todesco provides a constant stream of iOS issues since 17, I believe. I'm sure there are younger hackers around.
- dawnbreez 11y agoDoes anyone else think this kid's a scapegoat?
- pasbesoin 11y agoMeanwhile, the pinhead using AOL for this stuff goes unpunished.