New Terror Bill

["Oliver Petruzel" <opetruzel () cox rr com>]

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Kevin wrote (thanks btw!):
- - - --- snip ---
> 1) the modification or impairment, or potential modification or
> impairment, of the medical examination, diagnosis, treatment, or
> care of 1 or more individuals; 2) physical injury to any person;
> 3) a threat to public health or safety
> 4) damage affecting a computer system used by or for a Government
> entity in furtherance of the administration of justice, national
> defense, or national security; 
- - - --- snip ---

Hello All,
My first concern, even with the the new wording in the ACTUAL BILL,
is any DIRECT association between such acts and the word "terrorist"
or "terror."  An example to support this:  

A kiddie is on IRC and is told GirlX is at IP x.x.x.x by his buddy.
Said kiddie decides to nuke x.x.x.x without verifying the address
(for argument's sake, let's say he has an automated nuker)
It turns out x.x.x.x runs the stoplights in Town A.
This causes a car accident where someone is severely injured or
killed.
The kid is easily caught AND JAILED FOR ACTS OF TERROR!!!

This may be considered "negligent homicide" (or perhaps just a dumb
example!) or something similar, but it is NOT terrorism by ANY modern
and accepted definition of the term. In this case, the new bill WOULD
support prosecution under the Terror Act, but clearly the kid does
not intend to cause "terror" when he ping-flooded that IP, he's just
an ignorant and dumb kid. (ie, kiddie)

This example is enough in itself to remove this portion of the bill
COMPLETELY, and perhaps create a NEW BILL to address the same crimes,
but not linked to the word "terror," and with more appropriate 
punishments.  For I DO strongly believe in punishing those who commit
crimes, even accidental crimes!

My second concern is the future proposals lying dormant at the
moment.  Those that would make the posession of virii,
vulnerability-testing software, exploit code, and How-To's illegal. 
As a security professional who maintains quite a vast collection of
all of the above (uh oh, did I say that?), I fear my line of work
becoming extinct or VERY regulated.  That is unacceptable and we must
pay close attention.

We must remain vigilant in our observation of proposed legislature,
and we must remain accurate in our comprehension of the laws
proposed.  It appears half of the people who have responded to this
thread have done so without acrtually reading the proposal or doing
any research at all.  This makes for weak arguments and mistakes in
understanding.  PLEASE DO YOUR RESEARCH.

Then, when you are truly informed on the issue, respond en masse to
anyone who will listen, starting first, of course, with your
representatives in government.

God Bless America.

Sincerely,

Oliver Petruzel
Computer Security Specialist
Near DC...

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