Genius who wasted $1bn? My son Gary McKinnon was just looking for ET

London Times ^ | January 13, 2009

[Steelfish]

Genius who wasted $1bn? My son Gary McKinnon was just looking for ET January 13, 2009 If you believe the Pentagon and Nasa, Janis Sharp is the mother of an evil genius. Her son is Gary McKinnon, the Briton accused of the biggest hacking operation in US military history, and whose $1 billion wrecking spree through cyberspace – he says it was a quest to uncover evidence of alien life forms – has left his family in their own twilight zone.

[Toki]

Damn, Aspie or not he should have realized that he was doing something wrong.

However, his mom does have a point. Prison is no place for an Aspie (a very smart one for that). I have no doubt of his intentions were just to find information about UFO’s, I wish the government would realize this and just put the kid working for the CIA security for a prison term instead of sending him to a place that would probably destroy him.

[Bobalu]

Ever since the governments actions in the Mitnick case I have no faith in their claims against anyone possibly involved in computer hacking. They have proven themselves to be dangerous fools.

[exist]

Sandy Berger, Marvin Harrison, etc. should be serving prison time if this guy is serving prison time.

[james500]

This article is a total whitewash. Here’s a bit more balance...
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/07/british-ufo-hac.html

This little bastard illegally accessed United States Department of Defense computers, deleted files and shut down networks, leaving messages like this along the way,”U.S. foreign policy is akin to government-sponsored terrorism these days ... It was not a mistake that there was a huge security stand down on September 11 last year ... I am SOLO. I will continue to disrupt at the highest levels.”

70 years in an American supermax? Hardly.

“According to his lawyers, the United States offered McKinnon a deal of six months to a year in U.S. federal custody, followed by repatriation by the U.K., where he’d be eligible for parole after six months. McKinnon turned it down, then went running to the U.K. courts whining that the big bad Americans were trying to extort him into pleading guilty. You think? That’s what a plea bargain is, slick.”

[Steelfish]

Better yet- use him to hack Al-Qaeda internet sites

[pandoraou812]

Mr McKinnon has been living a half-life with his girlfriend. Forbidden from accessing a computer, “the gentle musician”, as his mother describes him, spends his time writing “moody” songs. “He is extremely depressed,” she said. “He bitterly regrets ruining his life.”

I bet he regrets it alright. He needs to get some form of punishment, here or in the UK. He should have taken the deal offered to him.

[kcvl]

Gary McKinnon, also known as Solo is accused of hacking into 97 United States military and NASA computers in 2001 and 2002. The computer networks he is accused of hacking include networks owned by NASA, the US Army, US Navy, Department of Defense, and the US Air Force.

McKinnon faces up to 70 years in jail and has expressed fears that he could be sent to Guantanamo Bay.

The charge that he perpetrated "the biggest military hack of all time" is disputed by McKinnon who characterises himself as a "bumbling computer nerd" who hacked while under the influence of cannabis and beer.

******

Gary's mother, Janis Sharp, has announced that there will be a Press Conference for Gary McKinnon taking place this coming Thursday 15th January at 12 noon at Doughty Street Chambers, 54 Doughty Street, central London.

Gary will be present but may be a bit quiet as he has been unwell.

Mr. Smart*ss tough guy is now hiding behind his mommy's skirt!

[kcvl]

McKinnon’s alleged hacks — which took place soon after the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States — shut down the U.S. Army district responsible for protecting Washington, D.C., and cleared logs from computers at Naval Weapons Station Earle in northern New Jersey, which tracks the location and battle-readiness of U.S. Navy ships.

McKinnon was caught in 2002 when investigators traced software used in the attacks to his girlfriend’s e-mail account.

http://tinyurl.com/82keza

[james500]

“He should have taken the deal offered to him. “

Why? Taking the deal, he’s a nobody with a criminal record. Fighting it, he’s the champion of every paranoid America hater out there.

“Gary’s mother, Janis Sharp, has announced that there will be a Press Conference for Gary McKinnon taking place this coming Thursday 15th January at 12 noon at Doughty Street Chambers, 54 Doughty Street, central London.”

A press conference to announce a legal defense fund, I’m sure.

[pandoraou812]

Thanks for the info. I live fairly close to Naval Weapons Station Earle. That place is huge & I feel no pity for McKinnon. Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time....Mommy seems to be very protective of her son. If he has all these things wrong with him how on earth did she allow him to smoke pot & live with a girlfriend part time? I say let him sit in prison & IMO he should be there now as he is a danger. Why should we believe he can’t get near a computer now?

[pandoraou812]

I said he should have taken the deal offered to him. Now after more reading I hope he gets plenty of time in jail. I don’t believe his story or his mommy’s either.

[james500]

Post #11 was supposed to be a reply to your post #7. I think Martians hacked the server.

[pandoraou812]

HMMM I think McKinnon aka the Martian did it. I am not sure what a Martian looks like as I’ve never seen one but I bet they look like that guy.

[muir_redwoods]

Every single hacker and virus writer should be flogged to death naked with barbed wire while being hosed down with vinegar. Every single one, irrespective of age.

One or two of you might think I'm kidding. I'm not. These are vile vandals who need to learn that they do not have the right to violate property rights.

I don't care what this punks purpose was. He had no business hacking.

Teach a harsh lesson because these "geniuses" seem to have a problem learning the easy way.

[Maurice Tift]

. He also admits leaving messages such as, “Your security is crap”.

  He's right. So many times, they don't even bother to change the default username and password. There's a very good account of the terrible security on so many government computers in a book called 'The Cuckoo's Egg.'

[Right Wing Assault]

Looks like Carville with hair.

[AppyPappy]

He’s not Aspbergers. She’s just using that to protect him.

[FBD]

He’s not a kid, he’s 42 years old.