Gratuitous Punishment

[Sandman]

House OKs life sentences for hackers.

Shouldn't the punishment fit the crime? Sheesh...

[Fishu]

Does that mean those 18 year old lime drooling hackers are as dangerous as killers who might snap off at any moment?

Thats what you get when old farts, who know nothing about the computers, are voting for the laws.

[Krusher]

If I read this right (I checked other sources) this article leaves a bit to your imagination.

This new law is for guys who hack into the power grid and turn off the juice................The hospital your gandma is in looses power and the emergency generators cant keep up.. grandma dies in the operating room.

Open the gates on a dam and flood the valleys behind it........ Several thousand people loose their lives in the flood

Crack the DOD and release the names of servicemen in afgahnistan. ......... Terrorist target their families

Clear the radar at the ATC....... a few planes collide over your city.

[miko2d]

Originally posted by Sandman_SBM
Shouldn't the punishment fit the crime? Sheesh...

 �A mouse can be just as dangerous as a bullet or a bomb.�

 That's their premise. Is it wrong?

[Boroda]

Originally posted by Krusher
If I read this right (I checked other sources) this article leaves a bit to your imagination.

This new law is for guys who hack into the power grid and turn off the juice................The hospital your gandma is in looses power and the emergency generators cant keep up.. grandma dies in the operating room.

Open the gates on a dam and flood the valleys behind it........ Several thousand people loose their lives in the flood

Crack the DOD and release the names of servicemen in afgahnistan. ......... Terrorist target their families

Clear the radar at the ATC....... a few planes collide over your city.

IMHO in such cases it's more reasonable to execute people who leave such control systems in public access.

Rule number one: any vital computing system must be separated from public networks.

[midnight Target]

This part of the article is even more upsetting:

By a 385-3 vote, the House approved a computer crime bill that also expands police ability to conduct Internet or telephone eavesdropping without first obtaining a court order.

[AKIron]

Originally posted by midnight Target
This part of the article is even more upsetting:

Dire measures for dire times. While I don't like the idea of big brother looking over my shoulder, I also have nothing to hide. If it is needed to help catch the bastards intent on destroying me or my way of life, I can live with it, for now.

[gofaster]

Originally posted by midnight Target
This part of the article is even more upsetting:

By a 385-3 vote, the House approved a computer crime bill that also expands police ability to conduct Internet or telephone eavesdropping without first obtaining a court order.

No big deal.  Your employer has been doing this to your work PC anyway.  You aren't surfing this message board or downloading porn at work, are you?

[Masherbrum]

If the hacker is that good, like the one who shut down Ebay, part of the Pentagon, etc.  They may "be sentenced to prison", but I guarantee you that he is now working for the government.  

Masher

[-dead-]

Originally posted by AKIron
Dire measures for dire times. While I don't like the idea of big brother looking over my shoulder, I also have nothing to hide. If it is needed to help catch the bastards intent on destroying me or my way of life, I can live with it, for now.

Hehe sounds a lot like it's the House of Representatives that are the "bastards intent on destroying your way of life" to me.
Who put the power grid, dam controls, DoD database and ATC radar on the internet? Arrest those idiots now! If all this stuff is really on private networks (I hope so!): empowering government law enforcement to get your ISP to hand over any and all information will help because.... ?!?!
[CYNICISM] The last para seems to sum up the other benefactors:

Most industry associations, including the Business Software Alliance, the Association for Competitive Technology, the Information Technology Association of America, and the Information Technology Industry Council, have endorsed most portions of CSEA.

BTW Here's Lamar Smith's (chair of the subcommittee) PAC Contributions Breakdown for the Communications/Electronics sector (the sector that contributes most):
Smith, Lamar (R-TX)
2001-2002 PAC Contributions: $86,744
Based on data released by the FEC on Monday, June 03, 2002.
Communic/Electronics            $21,642
TV/Movies/Music               $4,892
 BroadwaveUSA Inc            $1,000
 National Cable Television Assn         $3,892
Telephone Utilities               $8,250
 BellSouth Corp            $1,000
 SBC Communications         $1,500
 Verizon Communications         ($250)
 Verizon Communications         $6,000
Telecom Services & Equipment            $3,000
 Cellular Telecom & Internet Assn         $1,000
 Northpoint Technology         $2,000
Electronics Mfg & Services            $500
 Philips Electronics North America      $500
Computer Equipment & Services         $5,000
 Compaq Computer            $500
 eBay Inc               $1,000
 Electronic Data Systems         $2,000
 Microsoft Corp            $1,500
Figures from [url]http://www.opensecrets.org/[/URL]
Ooo look - eBay! Saaay didn't eBay get shut down by a hacker? Now there's a coincidence! [/CYNICISM]