What message are we sending?

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

> Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 21:27:14 -0500
> From: Scott Davis <sdavis () sdf lonestar org>
> Subject: What message are we sending?
> To: dave () farber net
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>
> Dave,
>
> I cannot express the joy I felt this morning upon hearing that the feds
> were poised to swoop down on the accused (and admitted) facilitator of
> the Blaster worm.  My thoughts quickly jumped to those of finding the
> cretin who wrote SoBig.  For the first time in eight days, something
> positive is happening for me.
>
> I am a manager for a very large ISP and communications company that
> everyone on this list has heard of.  For the past 8 days alone, our
> little office has spent well over a million dollars in money and
> resources, paying for staff to assist our customers, work with vendors
> on resolutions for excessive network traffic, and carry on other
> unscheduled business activities that would not have been taking place
> otherwise.
>
> My serotonin rush became a slow morphine drip later in the day when I
> became aware that the accused (and admitted) writer of this worm was
> sent home to live under house arrest for a while.
>
> >From CNN:
>
> "With this arrest, we want to deliver a message to cyber-hackers here
> and around the world," said U.S. Attorney John McKay in Seattle. "Let
> there be no mistake about it, cyber-hacking is a crime. ... We will
> investigate, arrest and prosecute cyber-hackers."
>
> What message are we sending, Dave? Am I far off base here to assume that
> someone who has admitted to doing what he is accused of, causing untold
> millions of dollars to be spent on <whatever>, and causing a major
> network event, which ultimately is affecting the global infrastructure
> of the network, that you can just go home and wait until the feds call
> you and tell you to come to trial? (yes...as long as you don't use the
> Internet while under house arrest).
>
> This social outcast admitted to facilitating a major network event which
> has costs untold dollars and had an impact on the critical
> infrastructure of this country...and they let him go home.  I had to
> pick my jaw up off the floor.
>
> I understand the US Constitution and the laws we live by that state you
> are innocent until proven guilty.  But pardon my conservatism when I say
> that if they had enough evidence and probable cause to arrest Jeff
> Parson for this crime, they had enough evidence and probable cause to
> put him in solitary confinement (read: Kevin Mitnick) until trial. While
> I think Kevin's incarceration was excessive in nature, whats good for
> the goose is good for the gander.  At an absolute minimum, why isn't the
> accused in a cell SOMEWHERE?
>
> I wonder if this worm author was from the middle east or had a Muslim
> name if he'd be under house arrest or in a 3'x5' air pocket UNDER the
> jail.  I suspect the latter.
>
> Just some thoughts from the cynical side...
>
> Thanks

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