UK blocks 'UFO-hacker' McKinnon extradition to US — RT News Tags Scandal , UK , Human rights , Internet , Information Technology , USA , Security , Court , Hacking ­The home secretary said that there is no doubt McKinnon is seriously ill, that she carefully examined the medical evidence and took legal advice, concluding that his extradition would pose such a high risk that he would end his life, which restricts his human rights. McKinnon, 46, suffers from Asperger’s syndrome. If convicted in the US, he could face up to 60 years in jail. The case of McKinnon has become the first time the British government has refused to extradite someone across the Atlantic since the existing UK-USA extradition treaty came into force in January 2004, The Independent reports. The agreement is largely contested by dozens of British MPs, who call the current policy one-sided, basically meaning Washington can demand anyone's extradition without proof, while London is obliged to obey. The treaty makes it far easier for the USA to take people from the UK than the other way around.

In a treaty with the US, the Americans must only show “reasonable suspicion” if they want to extradite a Briton – compared with “probable cause” going the other way. As a result, more Britons have been extradited than Americans. Between the January 1, 2004, when the treaty came into force, and October15, 2012, some 92 people were extradited from the UK to the US. By comparison, 43 people have been extradited from the US to the UK in the same period. The latest medical study by professors Declan Murphy and Tom Fahy spelled out the risks the British government could face if it went ahead with the extradition. The same experts in July concluded that McKinnon’s risk of suicide was “moderate.” Since then they have studied reports from three experts on Asperger’s and suicide, who examined McKinnon earlier in the year. The new report, dated September 24, read: “It is clear that there is a significant risk of suicidal behavior and that Mr. McKinnon ‘will do’ what he has threatened for the last three to four years if the extradition proceeds.

On this specific point, we cannot offer reassurance to the authorities who are dealing with the case.” London Mayor Boris Johnson praised the court’s decision saying that “justice has prevailed." He said that the extradition would have been “extraordinarily cruel and inhumane.” “I applaud the government's stance. If they had approved extradition they would have been saying that extradition on any grounds was OK. It's not," he said. McKinnon's mother Janis Sharp thanked Home Secretary May for made a lifesaving decision for her son. "Thank you Theresa May from the bottom of my heart – I always knew you had the strength and courage to do the right thing," she said. McKinnon's family and supporters have fought a high profile campaign against extradition over the last seven years, since US proceedings to seek his custody began. McKinnon was arrested in March 2002 for allegedly hacking into dozens of NASA and Pentagon computers over a 13-month period from his bedroom in North London. He has admitted the security breaches but said they were unintentional and that he was looking for evidence of UFOs. The United States expressed disappointment with the decision to withdraw the extradition order.

"The United States is disappointed by the decision to deny Gary McKinnon's extradition to face long overdue justice in the United States. We are examining the details of the decision," a State Department spokeswoman told reporters. ­ ‘Some British citizens more equal than others’ ­The family of Babar Ahmad, a British citizen who was extradited to the US as a terror suspect two weeks ago, “strongly welcomed” the McKinnon decision, but accused the government of “double standards." Babar was extradited along with four other people, including Talha Ahsan, who just like McKinnon has Asperger’s syndrome. British authorities have refused to prosecute Babar and Talha in the UK due to a lack of evidence. Babar, 38, was accused of running a US-hosted website that allegedly encouraged terrorism. He had been held in detention since 2004. Talha Ahsan has been in custody since 2006.

“A question needs to be asked as to why, within the space of two weeks, a British citizen with Asperger's accused of computer-related activity is not extradited, while two other British citizens, one with Asperger's, engaged in computer-related activity are extradited. A clear demonstration of double standards,” Babar’s family said in a statement in response to the court’s decision. Babar’s family also stressed that “many of our supporters are angry at what appears to be blatant old-fashioned racism under which all British citizens are equal, but some are more equal than others.” The “We Are Babar Ahmad” campaign has demanded clarification regarding Talha Ahsa. “This is an unjust stance regarding the plight of two British citizens who are under duress under very similar circumstances,” Deputy Chairman of the campaign, Ismail Jalisi said. UFO hacker wins battle against US Government – What did he really find? | Transmissions UFO hacker wins battle against US Government – What did he really find?

December 6, 2013 - UFOs and Space Anomalies - Tagged: ET , gary mckinnon , hack , NASA , space , technology , UFO Examiner.com On Tuesday November 16, British hacker Gary McKinnon finally won his decade long battle to avoid extradition to the US to face charges of hacking into the computer systems of NASA, the Pentagon and other government agencies. McKinnon claimed to have found photographs, film, and other evidence of alien spacecraft secretly held by various U.S. government agencies. In deciding to block the US extradition efforts, British Home Secretary Theresa May said she decided in favor of McKinnon “after medical experts concluded he was seriously ill and likely to attempt to take his own life.” While McKinnon still risks prosecution by British authorities, it’s unlikely that further legal action will be taken against him. Will McKinnon reveal more about what the US government knows about UFOs and extraterrestrial life now that he now longer faces extradition? McKinnon first hacked into NASA’s Johnson Space Center and said : he found a high definition picture of a large cigar shaped object over the northern hemisphere.

He said that he was so shocked by the picture that he didn’t think to immediately save it. He also said that the file size was so large that is was difficult to view it on his computer. Eventually his connection was lost, and so was the picture. When McKinnon later hacked into classified files of U.S. Space Command (incorporated into Strategic Command on October 1, 2002 soon after McKinnon was caught), he discovered a number of naval terms such as “fleet-to-fleet transfers” concerning non-terrestrial officers. He said : I found a list of officers’ names … under the heading ‘Non-Terrestrial Officers’. It doesn’t mean little green men. What I think it means is not Earth-based. I found a list of ‘fleet-to-fleet transfers’, and a list of ship names. I looked them up. They weren’t US Navy ships. What I saw made me believe they have some kind of spaceship, off-planet.” McKinnon’s startling discovery cast light on what had been earlier revealed by no less than a former President of the United States: Ronald Reagan.

In President Reagan’s Diary , the entry for Tuesday, June 11, 1985 (page 334) reads: Lunch with 5 top space scientist. It was fascinating. Space truly is the last frontier and some of the developments there in astronomy etc. are like science fiction, except they are real. I learned that our shuttle capacity is such that we could orbit 300 people. Reagan’s comment was revealing since the recently retired Space Shuttle held a maximum of eight people and only five were built for space flight. Even if all five took off fully loaded it would be impossible to place and maintain 300 astronauts in orbit. Was Reagan revealing the existence of a highly classified space program that could accommodate hundreds of astronauts in orbit? Apparently so, according to dozens of military and corporate whistleblowers. Hidden within one of the nine unified combatant commands of the U.S. military, as McKinnon later discovered, appeared to be a highly classified fleet of aircraft carrier sized ships that operate in outer space. Now that McKinnon no longer faces the threat of extradition and is unlikely to be prosecuted by British authorities, he may be able to reveal more about what he learned from sensitive U.S.

military and government computer files about UFOs and extraterrestrial life. What did UFO hacker really find? Gary McKinnon (credit: Associated Press) In what US prosecutors have called the biggest military hack of all time, Scottish hacker, Gary McKinnon says it was all done in an effort to end secrecy regarding UFOs and Free Energy technology. McKinnon has been accused of hacking into computer systems belonging to NASA, the US Army, US Navy, Department of Defense, and the US Air Force. He is fighting extradition to the United States to be held on trial, and if extradited faces spending the rest of his life in prison, but were his efforts in vain, or did he really find something? In all of his interviews, McKinnon talks about two UFO related finds. He told the Guardian newspaper that he thought what he found was so important that he tried to barter with the government. When first caught he was offered the chance to take a plea bargain and get a three to four year sentence. He turned the offer down to get a lesser sentence, threatening to release everything he found if they didn’t give him a better deal. Unfortunately for Gary, the US government wasn’t too worried about his revelations.

Now he faces spending a 70 year sentence in a US prison, where they don’t serve tea and crumpets. Lucy Clarke, McKinnon’s girlfriend, is comforted at a protest. (credit: Cate Gillon/Getty Images Europe) McKinnon was inspired by physician Dr. Steven Greer’ Disclosure project. Greer had brought together a number of very credible witnesses to testify in front of the Washington National Press Club that they had knowledge of the existence of Extraterrestrial visitation and that it was being hidden from the public. One of the witnesses said they knew that pictures from space were being altered at NASA’s Johnson’s space center; UFOs were allegedly being taken out of pictures. McKinnon hacked into Johnson’s systems and said he found a high definition picture of a large cigar shaped object over the northern hemisphere. He said that he was so shocked by the picture that he didn’t think to immediately save it. He also said that the file size was so large that is was difficult to view it on his computer. Eventually his connection was lost, and so was the picture.

The most shocking find to McKinnon, the one he thought would be his ace in the hole negotiating with the US government, was what he found hacking into the systems of US Space Command. McKinnon says he found a log that listed non-terrestrial officers. He doesn’t believe that these were aliens, but he believes this to be evidence that the US military has a secret battalion in space. Some of these logs were ship to ship transfers, but he says he was usually smoking pot when he hacked, so that prevented him from remembering the names of the ships. McKinnon told the Gaurdian: “I was smoking a lot of dope at the time. Not good for the intellect.” There are rumors that he has talked about the names of two of the ships he saw on the transfer logs, the names of the ships being the USSS LeMay and the USSS Hillenkoetter. Typically Navy ship names just have two S’, an acronym for United States Ship, however there are three S’ here, presumably standing for United States Space Ship. The names of the ships are also significant.

General Curtis LeMay (credit: USAF) General Curtis LeMay was friends with retired Air Force Reserve Major General and former U.S. Senator from Arizona, Barry Goldwater. Goldwater believed there was a UFO cover-up deep within the government, and suspected that his friend LeMay knew about it. There were rumors that there was UFO evidence being held in a secret room at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base called the blue room. Goldwater told the media several times that when he asked LeMay about this room, LeMay got upset and told him, “Not only can’t you get into it but don’t you ever mention it to me again.” Open Minds magazine will have an article going more into depth on Goldwater in the second issue. The second ship’s namesake, Admiral Roscoe Hillenkoetter, was the first director of the CIA, and was also a member of a UFO research organization, the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP). In 1960 the New York Times reported that Hillenkoetter had sent a letter to Congress that included this statement: “Behind the scenes, high-ranking Air Force officers are soberly concerned about UFOs.

But through official secrecy and ridicule, many citizens are led to believe the unknown flying objects are nonsense.” Admiral Hillenkoetter (credit: USN) Although Hillenkoetter fought for the end of UFO secrecy, he eventually stopped commenting on the matter. Alleged secret documents that were leaked to UFO researchers, list Hillenkoetter as a member of the infamous Majestic 12 group, an organization rumored to have been made up of high ranking military officers and civilians that was supposedly created by President Truman to initially manage the UFO issue. However, the fact that McKinnon really released the names of these ships is also alleged, thus far there are no source for these rumors. So that is it, the UFO picture that McKinnon saw and the ship rosters were all he had, and unfortunately for him, they were not enough to scare the government into going easy on him. Instead he has been fighting a long multi-year battle to keep from being extradited to the US, a fight that he is losing. So far every British court he has appealed to has denied his stay. The US government is really throwing the book at him, alleging that he took down military computers making the US vulnerable soon after 911.

McKinnon denies those claims, and says that he was able to observe many hackers from around the world accessing the networks he was on at the same time he was on them. Many believe that McKinnon may just be a scapegoat. The search for truth on the UFO matter is a difficult one, and some may argue that the secrets being kept are illegal. However, taking illegal steps to get to the truth is ill-advised, and unfortunately McKinnon is learning this the hard way. UK blocks hacker McKinnon's extradition to U.S. - CNN.com UK blocks hacker McKinnon's extradition to U.S. By Laura Smith-Spark, CNN Updated 6:33 PM ET, Tue October 16, 2012 Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds. JUST WATCHED Hacker's extradition to U.S. blocked 03:11 Story highlights The U.S. State Department is "disappointed" by the decision Lawyer for McKinnon says it is "a great day for British justice" UK home secretary blocks extradition of Gary McKinnon to the United States U.S.

prosecutors accuse him of breaking into military, NASA and civilian networks The UK government Tuesday blocked the extradition of computer hacker Gary McKinnon to the United States to face trial for what the U.S. government says is the biggest military computer hacking of all time. Home Secretary Theresa May said McKinnon was accused of serious crimes -- but that "there is also no doubt that he is seriously ill." The extradition order against McKinnon should be withdrawn because his Asperger syndrome and depressive illness meant "there is such a high risk of him ending his own life that a decision to extradite would be incompatible with his human rights," she said. McKinnon has admitted to breaking into computers at NASA and the Pentagon but says he did so to find out if the U.S. government was covering up the existence of UFOs. The 46-year-old has fought a decade-long battle against extradition. The UK director of public prosecutions will now look at whether McKinnon should face trial in a UK court, May said.

JUST WATCHED MUST WATCH Elite hackers charged 02:59 McKinnon's mother, Janis Sharp, who has campaigned for years on his behalf, told a news conference it had been "an emotional roller coaster" but that she was incredibly happy at the result. The decision to block extradition saved her son's life, she said. He cried when he first heard the ruling but she had now seen him smile "for the first time in years." Sharp also praised May for "an incredibly brave decision -- to stand up to another nation as strong and powerful as America is rare." McKinnon's lawyer, Karen Todner, said it was "a great day for British justice" and that she hoped UK prosecutors "might consider that Gary has suffered enough." She also suggested he might be considered unfit to plead in a UK court given his mental health issues. Rights group Liberty also welcomed what it said was a "long-overdue" decision involving a vulnerable man. "It's a great day for compassion and common sense," said Liberty director Shami Chakrabarti. The U.S. State Department is examining the decision.

"The United States is disappointed by the decision to deny Gary McKinnon's extradition to face long overdue justice in the United States," spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters Tuesday. The U.S. government says McKinnon accessed 97 computers from his home in London for a year starting in March 2001, costing the government about $1 million. He is accused of breaking into military, NASA and civilian networks, and accessing computers at the Pentagon; Fort Benning, Georgia; Fort Meade, Maryland; the Earle Naval Weapons Station in Colts Neck, New Jersey; and the Johnson Space Center in Houston, among others. In one case, McKinnon allegedly crashed computers belonging to the Military District of Washington. But McKinnon's family and Todner had argued against the extradition on human rights grounds because he has Asperger syndrome. People with the syndrome suffer difficulty in social relationships, communication and social imagination, according to The National Autistic Society in Britain. Asperger syndrome may often include having special interests and becoming anxious if a routine is broken. Psychiatrists who examined McKinnon said there was a risk of suicide if he was sent to the United States.

Sharp reiterated that point Tuesday, saying her son told her he "felt like a dead person," and that he would have preferred suicide to being taken thousands of miles away from his family and everything he knew. As well as Asperger syndrome, McKinnon has other mental health issues, including lifelong schizophrenia, she added. Todner has also complained that the United States has never provided evidence to prosecutors or McKinnon's legal team to support its extradition request. However, under Britain's Extradition Act of 2003, U.S. prosecutors are not required to provide such evidence. Critics have long argued that Britain's extradition treaties unfairly deny its citizens the chance to have the evidence against them considered by a British court before they are extradited. In response to such concerns, May outlined Tuesday a series of proposals intended to make the extradition process both with the United States and within the European Union, under the European Arrest Warrant, quicker and more transparent. The proposals include the introduction of a so-called "forum bar," she said.

"This will mean that where prosecution is possible in both the UK and in another state, the British courts will be able to bar prosecution overseas, if they believe it is in the interests of justice to do so." Her remarks follow a two-year review of Britain's extradition arrangements. Chakrabarti pointed out that May's decision to block McKinnon's extradition was only possible because of a provision in the Human Rights Act, controversial legislation which the Liberty director described as "much maligned" in Britain. McKinnon was on the brink of extradition in August 2008, when the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, refused to reconsider the decision to send him to the United States, effectively clearing the way for his transfer. He has been free on bail in England while the extradition process has been going on. A U.S. federal grand jury indicted McKinnon on seven counts of computer fraud and related activity. If convicted, he would have faced a maximum of 10 years in prison on each count and a $250,000 fine. UK court will hear hacker’s extradition plea | Newsdesk International Politicians, the destroyers of nations.

UK court will hear hacker’s extradition plea newsdeskinternational ♦ 01/24/2009 ♦ 11 Comments Written by Janet A british court today ruled that a man who hacked into U.S. military computers can seek a new hearing in his battle to avoid extradition. Lord Justice Maurice Kay said the fact that Gary McKinnon had been diagnosed recently with Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism, merits further consideration. He agreed to permit McKinnon’s lawyers to present arguments at a hearing in March that will determine if he gets a chance to formally appeal the extradition. U.S. prosecutors say McKinnon, 42, broke into 97 computers belonging to NASA, the Department of Defense and several branches of the military from a bedroom in a north London home, causing nearly $1 billion in damage. McKinnon said he was looking for evidence of Unidentified Flying Objects and only succeeded in his hack because of lax security. A new twist from his lawyers, said McKinnon he is likely to become suicidal if he is removed to the United States away from family and familiar surroundings.

His attorney Karen Todner said Home Secretary Jacqui Smith did not consider these risks properly when she ruled in October that the extradition should proceed. This hacking took place in 2001, after the attacks in the United States, and it 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. If he is extradited, he will face trial on eight charges of computer fraud. Each count could bring a sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, but U.S. prosecutors have said he would likely receive a much lighter sentence. McKinnon’s lawyers had argued that any alleged offense that took place in Britain should be tried in Britain, but British and European courts have so far rejected repeated legal attempts to prevent his extradition. Earlier this month, McKinnon offered to plead guilty to a criminal charge in Britain to avoid extradition.

British prosecutor Keir Starmer will decide next month whether to prosecute McKinnon in Britain. 06/27/05; Vol Updateן¿½ן¿½ -ן¿½ן¿½ May 10ן¿½ן¿½ , 2006 Court: Alleged Hacker Can Be Extradited Gary McKinnon, 40, accused of mounting the largest ever hack of United States government computer networksן¿½ including Army, Air Force, Navy and NASA systems arrives at the Bow Magistrates Court for the last hearing of his extradition case, in central London Wednesday May 10, 2006. McKinnon, has been indicted in the states of New Jersey and northern Virginia on charges of illegally accessing 97 computers, causing US$700,000 (400,000 pounds, euro588,000) in damage. The alleged hackerן¿½ who has claimed he was searching for suppressed evidence of UFOs was arrested in 2002 and has fought against extradition. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis) AP ן¿½ LONDON.

A British court recommended Wednesday that Gary McKinnon, 40, of Londonן¿½ן¿½ be extradited to the United States to face charges in the largest attack on U.S. government computer networks including Army, Air Force, Navy and NASA systems. He has been indicted in New Jersey and Virginia for allegedly hacking into U.S. government computers between February 2001 and March 2002. He was arrested in 2002 and has fought his extradition. Indictment: US v. Gary Mckinnon ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½(12/11/02) Background: UK National High Tech Crime Unit Notice 8 June 2005 UK COMPUTER HACKER FACING EXTRADITION CHARGES TO USA A British man wanted in the United States for allegedly carrying out "the biggest military computer hack of all time" is due to appear at Bow Street Magistrates Court today (8 June 2005).

Arrested in November 2002 by officers from the National Hi-Tech Crime Unit, part of the National Crime Squad, Gary McKinnon, 39, of north London faces extradition over claims he gained illegal access and made alterations to US military and NASA computers over a 12-month period from 2001 to 2002. Using software available for download on the Internet, McKinnon -- an unemployed computer systems administrator -- allegedly hacked into 92 separate networks operated by the US Army, Navy, Air Force and the Pentagon. The US government estimated the the cost of tracking and correcting the alleged problems to be about $1 million (ן¿½570,000). McKinnon was indicted in 2002 by a US grand jury on eight counts of computer-related crimes in 14 different states and was arrested yesterday (8 June) by the Metropolitan Police's Extradition Unit. The US indictment said he hacked into an Army computer at Fort Myer, Virginia, obtained administrator privileges and transmitted codes, information and commands before deleting about about 1,300 user accounts.

It alleged he also "deleted critical system files" on the computer, copied a file containing usernames and encrypted passwords for the computer and installed tools to gain unauthorised access to other machines. ן¿½ end ן¿½ For three months last year, an Army soldier stationed in Afghanistan installed on more than 200 computers illegal software that captured usersן¿½ keystrokes and, ultimately, caused about $25,000 in damage. The software gave the soldier access to passwords, credit card data and other sensitive information from users of the compromised computers. A team of agents with the Armyן¿½s Computer Crime Investigative Unit, a division within the Army Criminal Investigation Command charged with securing all Army networks, traveled on short notice to the hostile area to analyze the affected computers. Their investigation led them to the suspect, whom officials declined to name because he accepted nonjudicial punishment in lieu of a court martial. Daniel T. Andrews, CCIUן¿½s acting director, said the soldier did not misuse or disclose any of the sensitive data he had collected and that the case was referred to the military justice system for disciplinary action.

But Andrews said the case is an example of the work performed daily by CCIU agents and analysts. ן¿½CCIU agents respond to and investigate network intrusions and other computer-related felonies across the globe,ן¿½ Andrews said. ן¿½Given the so-called borderless nature of Internet-based crime, many of CCIUן¿½s cases involve investigative leads in foreign countries, adding even more complexity to cases that can often involve hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages.ן¿½ One such case occurred three years ago. Gary McKinnon, a computer administrator from London, faces extradition for charges that he hacked into military and NASA computer systems, deleting files and blocking access to the Internet, officials said. The incident occurred over a 12-month period during 2001 and 2002. CCIU gathered evidence and led the international investigation that resulted in McKinnonן¿½s arrest. Special agent Brent A. Pack, operations officer of the Fort Belvoir, Va.-based unit, said nabbing the hacker involved ן¿½collecting, examining and reporting more than 1T of electronic evidence.ן¿½ McKinnon was indicted by a U.S.

grand jury in 2002 on eight counts of computer crimes and is scheduled for an extradition hearing on July 27 in London. A pending case against a technology company was a bit easier to solve, officials said. In early 2002, ForensicTec Solutions Inc. of San Diego broke into dozens of sensitive Defense systems while conducting routine business for a government client, according to ForensicTec president Brett Oן¿½Keeffe, who spoke with GCN at the time of the incident. The government accused Oן¿½Keeffe and other ForensicTec employees of discussing the security vulnerabilities with the news media in an attempt to build their new business. Oן¿½Keeffe said he notified military officials right away. ן¿½All we did was expose a vulnerability that others could exploit,ן¿½ Oן¿½Keeffe said in the interview. ן¿½We didnן¿½t create a vulnerability, we just showed it.ן¿½ Oן¿½Keeffe said company employees gained access to computers at a Texas Army base that held records of radio encryption techniques, and personnel files listing Social Security numbers, security clearances and credit card numbers.

Employees also roamed a NASA systemן¿½s vendor records, which included company banking information. Oן¿½Keeffe has since pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge in the incident and faces up to a year in jail when he is sentenced on Aug. 1, according to John Parmley, an assistant U.S. attorney. Parmley said two co-defendants, Aljosa Medvesek and Margaret Ann Lauffer, who also worked at ForensicTec, pleaded guilty to unauthorized access and will also be sentenced later this year. On the front door of the CCIU lab is a logo with an eagle holding a computer mouse. Inside the lab, computer technicians gather forensic evidence by taking computers apart to see what damage a hacker did and how he accomplished his intrusion. The unit has portable forensic equipment that allows agents to remove hard drives for extensive examination. The agents can perform analysis on any type of operating system. ן¿½Most of the Internet-based attacks we see are attempts to exploit any variety of vulnerabilities in computer operating systems or other software code,ן¿½ Andrews said.

ן¿½Without identifying any specific threat, the arsenal of cyberexploits is dynamically evolving and becoming more potentially malicious with time.ן¿½ CCIU operates on a yearly budget of $1 million, a jump from $500,000 in its earlier years. That figure does not include personnel pay or real estate facilities, Andrews said. He attributed the hike in budgetary dollars to the realization that computer security is vital to military operations. ן¿½Senior Army officials understand the importance of enterprisewide network security and the significance of maintaining a robust investigative force capable of swiftly responding to cyberattacks, assessing the extent of damage and bringing cybercriminals to justice,ן¿½ Andrews said. Special agents assigned to CCIU usually come from law enforcement backgrounds and undergo extensive computer network training.

Gary Mckinnon Fights Extradition ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ (8/6/05) ן¿½ן¿½ 4Lawן¿½ : The Russian biggest Newswire Portal Lenta.ru Remarks the Reliability of the Full PDF Indictment version Concern US Military Mass Hacks , in his Page , as well as the 4Law (B.GRG Ltd.) Site with link to the file here . Russian Languageן¿½ן¿½ - Click the Tittle.

ן¿½ ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ (9/6/05) ן¿½ Free Gary Mckinnon - Support Site - Page Savedן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ן¿½ (12/6/05) Former prosecutor: UFO hack looked like terrorist attack | Network World Former prosecutor: UFO hack looked like terrorist attack Senior Writer, Computerworld | Aug 7, 2008 1:00 AM PT Email a friend Use commas to separate multiple email addresses From Your message has been sent. Sorry There was an error emailing this page. Related What is Wi-Fi beamforming and MU-MIMO? After the computer network at the Naval Weapons Station Earle in New Jersey was breached and crashed just a few weeks after the terrorist attacks of Sept.

11, 2001, investigators thought it might be part of a larger al-Qaeda plot against the United States. Investigators worked around the clock to figure out who had been in and out of the system that runs the weapons station for about five months, stealing passwords, installing remote access software, deleting data and ultimately shutting down the network of 300 computers for an entire week. That weeklong shutdown meant that for that period of time -- in the aftermath of attacks on the U.S. -- the station couldn't do its job of replenishing munitions and supplies to the Atlantic fleet. Was the break-in organized by a nation-state? A terrorist group? After throwing critical resources at the investigation when the government was already investigating not only the 9/11 attacks but the anthrax killings, investigators didn't track the breach to al-Qaeda. They tracked it to an unemployed system administrator in the United Kingdom -- Gary McKinnon , who was subsequently charged with hacking into 92 computer systems at the Pentagon, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Air Force, the Department of Defense and NASA.

It's been seven years since the break-ins and about six since the charges were leveled against McKinnon, 42, of London, Since then, he has been fighting extradition to the U.S., but just last week the highest British court dismissed his latest appeal against the extradition. McKinnon, who has said he broke into U.S. military computers hoping to uncover evidence of UFOs, plans to appeal the decision to the European Court of Human Rights. According to his attorney, Karen Todner, it's the last appeal he can file. A resource drain at the worst time Scott Christie , who at the time was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in New Jersey, was the first prosecutor brought into the case. Christie, who now leads the information technology group at law firm McCarter & English LLP, said McKinnon simply is "grasping at straws" with his latest appeal. "I think it reinforces the fact that arguments against extradition had no merit and that he is continuing to avoid the inevitable," said Christie, who worked with investigators from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service on the case.

"It is a very significant intrusion case because it reinforces the fact that a lone individual who is motivated can cause significant damage to the military preparedness of this country. It showed unfortunately that security on computers at military installations was not as robust as it should have been... If that's in fact true, it gives one concern as to what organized groups with sophisticated hacking tools who may be sponsored by organized crime or foreign governments could achieve in this area." Christie said that since the naval station's system was shut down on the heels of 9/11, it reinforced people's worst fears. And because of the seriousness of the attack and its possible link to a terrorist organization, the government threw a lot of resources at the problem -- resources that could have been used in the terrorist investigation. "The concern was there," said Howard Schmidt , who began working at the White house as the vice chairman of the President's Critical Infrastructure Protection Board in 2002, in the midst of the McKinnon investigation. "When these things take place, you never know till the very end what their motivation is... You don't know if it's a nation-state or a terrorist group. You have to work it as if this was the most important case you ever worked.

There is a finite amount of resources. This pulled big resources that could have been used for other things." Schmidt, who today is CEO of R&H Security Consulting, noted that he was briefed on the investigation when he began working at the White House and that the case was something they were following. In New Jersey, McKinnon was charged with one count of unauthorized access and causing damage to a protected computer, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Erez Liebermann of New Jersey, who now is the lead prosecutor on the case. The government contends that McKinnon first hacked into the naval station's network on April 7, 2001, but wasn't discovered until late in September when he allegedly deleted computer files that were needed to power up computers on the network. In the five months that McKinnon allegedly was in and out of the system, the government charges that he installed remote access software to make it easier for him to get into the network. He also allegedly stole about 950 passwords and deleted computer logs and files. Liebermann noted that McKinnon allegedly caused US$290,431 in financial damages to Naval Weapons Station Earle.

In Virginia, McKinnon is facing seven counts of unauthorized access. There, the U.S. Attorney's Office claims he caused $900,000 in damages to computers in 14 states. Liebermann noted that each of the total of eight charges carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. Christie, though, said that based on sentencing guidelines, he estimates that the sentences would be dropped down into the three- to five-year range. UFO hunter or something more? Christie added that McKinnon's own statements will come into play during trial. He often has told the British press that he simply was in the military systems looking for covered-up information on UFOs . However, according to a legal judgment from the House of Lords, when McKinnon was being interview by law enforcement in the U.K., he admitted to leaving a note on one Army computer reading, "US 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...

" McKinnon confessed to the intrusions but denied causing any damage. Christie said being inconsistent about his story could hurt McKinnon's case. "It goes more to jury appeal," he said, adding that McKinnon would be more likely to come off looking like an eccentric if he appears to have been someone on a quest for information about UFOs concealed by the government. But if he strikes the jury as someone who attacked U.S. military computers because he disagreed with the country's foreign policy, that's a whole different matter. "It [would] show him to be much more deliberate, methodical and vindictive than otherwise," said Christie. "I would imagine that the government is going to... try to show that he's not this eccentric, but that he is using that as his cover story where his real motivation is attacking the government and the military because of U.S. policies... Regardless of his explanation, he still shouldn't have accessed computers and been rummaging around and doing what he was doing." Christie also noted that a big part of the government's job will be to prove their allegations that McKinnon's actions actually damaged the systems.

Prosecutors in both New Jersey and Virginia will have to convince a jury that McKinnon's break-ins were directly linked to computer malfunctions, lost data and subsequent financial damages. "It appears he has acknowledged gaining unauthorized access to these military computer networks, but it also appears that he does not believe he caused any damage in the course of his rooting around these computer systems," said Christie. "I don't think [this case] is a home run. The government will need to demonstrate that he caused damage... which may not be the easiest thing to prove. The government, through Mr. McKinnon's admissions, is halfway to the goal line but still has a ways to go." For Schmidt , it doesn't matter why McKinnon was in the system. The issues are that he was in there and that he allegedly opened up easy access for anyone else to secretly get in and out, as well. "I don't buy 'I was looking for hidden spaceships'," said Schmidt. "That doesn't wash for me... Anytime you create an unauthorized entry point, it means not only one person could have used it to get into the system.

Who else could have used it to piggyback into the system?" Schmidt added that while it was "troubling" that the naval station's system could be compromised for five months without anyone noticing, he thinks security has been multiplied since then. "We're much more focused on cyber security now," he said. "The controls weren't in place then. Emphasis on information security wasn't there at the time. Every year we get better. It doesn't mean we have vulnerabilities, but we are better." This story, "Former prosecutor: UFO hack looked like terrorist attack" was originally published by Computerworld . Join the Network World communities on Facebook and LinkedIn to comment on topics that are top of mind. Related:

Question: Who fought extradition to the US for allegedly hacking into Pentagon and NASA computers while investigating UFOs?
Answer: Gary McKinnon