Lords to rule on hacker Gary McKinnon's extradition

Author:

Ian Grant

Posted:

17:07 13 Jun 2008

The US government accuses McKinnon of breaking into the
computer network at the Earle Naval Weapons Station, stealing computer
passwords, and shutting down the network in the immediate aftermath of
the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

A second indictment charges McKinnon with intentional damage to a
protected computer, with intrusions into 92 computer systems belonging
to the US Army, Navy, Air Force, Department of Defense and NASA.

McKinnon is also charged with hacking into two computers located at
the Pentagon and six private companies' networks. He is accused of
causing approximately £450,000 in damages to computers located in 14
states.

"As a result of the intrusions into the US military networks,
McKinnon rendered the network for the military district of Washington
inoperable," a US Attorney statementsaid.

McKinnon admits entering US computer systems without authorisation, but denies causing damage or non-operation of any of them.

If convicted, McKinnon could face 60 years in a US jail.

Members of the former National High Tech Crime Unit arrested
McKinnon in 2002, three years after he began looking for evidence of
extra-terrestrial beings and technologies on US computers, McKinnon
told Computer Weekly.

British taxpayers will pay both the CPS's costs and much of McKinnon's. The total so far is estimated to be close to £900,000.

Technorati Tags: Gary McKinnon, brian howes, extradition, house of lords, unfair extradition, liberty, kerry howes, howes family