In 1997, state agencies started turning to the Internet in an effort to make the information more widely available. The rules governing who's included online vary widely. Such sites are immensely popular. When Mississippi opened its site last year, it was shut down by a deluge of traffic. But increased use of the Internet to distribute the sex offender information has sparked new public debate on the disclosure issue.
Advocates say it helps parents and schools protect children.
Critics say it keeps ex-convicts from having a fair chance at returning to society. That renewed debate led members of London's 2600 hacker club to scan sex offender databases looking for obvious flaws. It didn't take long to find them. By itself, that flaw would not allow an intruder to alter data on the Web site, but it would provide an important first step toward breaking into the system. So if it's going to be an Internet-wide havoc, it will probably start ramping up soon.