Botnet Attack Sentence: 3 Years

[tedster]

SEATTLE -- A man was sentenced to three years in prison Friday for launching a computer attack that hit tens of thousands of computers, including some belonging to the Department of Defense, a Seattle hospital and a California school district....

Maxwell and two juvenile co-conspirators were accused of using "botnet" attacks -- programs that let hackers infect and control a computer network -- to install unwanted internet advertising software, a job that earned them about $100,000.

Wired News story [wired.com]

[dauction]

Good

[koan]

Hackers used to be about intellectual curiosity, nowadays, stupid kiddies are spammers for hire. It's shame. Considering about half of spam come from zombie networks, I'm glad they're getting tough on it. I remember some sociopathic spammers (but I repeat myself) brought down the whole antispam company Blue Security for good with their DDOS attacks. Nobody should have that kind of disruptive power.

[incrediBILL]

3 years isn't enough considering the amount of harm caused to the total people infected with their software.

I'm thinking the Death Penalty would make a point to the rest of them :)

[gregbo]

Hackers used to be about intellectual curiosity, nowadays, stupid kiddies are spammers for hire.

Actually, there have always been malicious hackers, dating back to the days where phreakers subverted phone systems and compromised government computers.

[jk3210]

So he spends 8 months in the California sunshine weeding the garden at Club Fed, then he gets parolled. Big deal.

[rohitj]

Not a big deal unless you're the one doing that time. Last I checked most computer-savvy people aren't cut out for doing a 3 year stretch (or 8 months for that matter).

[rogerd]

>>I'm thinking the Death Penalty

[wired.com...]

[vincevincevince]

I just hope that all those who paid for advertising through those networks get similar punishments. As we know, ignorance is not a defense in the eyes of the law.

[fischermx]

>>I'm thinking the Death Penalty
[wired.com...]

Spamming for clients for a language school (!?) ... what a boring story ... what a stupid death...

[koan]

Spamming for clients for a language school (!?) ... what a boring story ... what a stupid death...

There's nothing stupid with executing spammers.. of any kind. They soooooooooo have it coming.

[gibbergibber]

-- I just hope that all those who paid for advertising through those networks get similar punishments. As we know, ignorance is not a defense in the eyes of the law. --

The problem is proving they paid for it, otherwise rivals would advertise a company just to get it into trouble for spamming.

[Essex_boy]

Its not long enough - should have been 6 - 10 years.

[jk3210]

<<Last I checked most computer-savvy people aren't cut out for doing a 3 year stretch>>

Better check again. Computer people are supremely qualified to do time in the joint.

We ALREADY sit in the same cubicle year after year, blankly staring straight ahead, and losing track of time.

[james_plato]

It’s only a good punishment, if he loses computer privileges for 3 years.

[walkman]

>> We ALREADY sit in the same cubicle year after year, blankly staring straight ahead, and losing track of time.

you oughta watch [hbo.com...] This guy [hbo.com...] and his friends would love a computer type guy :)

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

Last I checked most computer-savvy people aren't cut out for doing a 3 year stretch

If you can't do the time don't do the crime!