A British hacker who broke into U.S. military systems (including those of the Pentagon, Army, Navy, and Air Force, among others) may be extradited to the United States. Gary McKinnon would be “charged with the biggest military computer hack of all time,” according to U.S. Attorney Paul McNulty.
Claiming that he will not receive a fair trial in the U.S., and could just as easily be tried in Britain, McKinnon has been fighting extradition. His solicitor, Karen Rodner, says they will appeal the decision to extradite. Although McKinnon’s crimes were committed in 2001 and 2002, the government waited (for unclear reasons) until 2005 to begin the extradition process.
McKinnon has expressed concern over the possibility of being jailed in the Guantanamo Bay facilities. The U.S. government has provided documents to his defense team that the admitted hacker will not be tried as a terrorist, or under military law.
McKinnon maintains that he, as a self-professed “bumbling computer nerd,” never intended to disrupt security, and some are arguing that his hacking did the U.S. government a favor by highlighting its networks’ weaknesses. The government rejects this claim, estimating the damage caused by the hacks at over $1 million, although McKinnon denies taking any harmful actions.
McKinnon went on to say that he was merely trying to investigate the existence of aliens and UFOs. He also mentioned an American conspiracy to suppress knowledge of so-called “free energy” and the existence of antigravity systems.
If McKinnon is convicted in the United States, his UFO research could result in a 70-year prison sentence and up to $1.75 million in fines.
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Doug is a staff writer for Murdok. Visit Murdok for the latest eBusiness news.
