Xref: utzoo alt.security:1406 alt.folklore.computers:4825 comp.society.futures:2019 Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!samsung!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!ark1!nems!mimsy!mojo!russotto From: russotto@eng.umd.edu (Matthew T. Russotto) Newsgroups: alt.security,alt.folklore.computers,comp.society.futures Subject: Re: Feedback on Computer Crime - Apology Message-ID: <1990Aug20.180703.3667@eng.umd.edu> Date: 20 Aug 90 18:07:03 GMT References: <90224.202102POPOVICH@ucf1vm.cc.ucf.edu> Sender: news@eng.umd.edu (The News System) Organization: College of Engineering, Maryversity of Uniland, College Park Lines: 27 In article jon@vector0 (A Product of Society) writes: > > I was busted and the feds laided 8 felony counts on me, basically >all the same: I called a number and connected. There was no damage, >I didn't even get to the login: prompt - the system needed special >software to connect to it. As a minor I got off easy. If I were an >adult, I'd be serving 5 to 10 years and over 5,000$ fine. The >judge recognized the fact that I was a tourist and let me off easy. >Most judges will assume you're a crasher and hang you. It was *all* >motive. If I were a crasher, I could have easily lied and posed as a >tourist with the same result. But that's America. If you don't >like it, move. Is this true, or some sort of horror story, or what? On the LAW echo on Fidonet, I pointed out that making mere unauthorized modification of files had some dangerous implications, such as: telnet 8.128.x.y /* I meant 128.8.x.y */ Unix System V 5.2 (sundevil.ss.gov) login:^D And the Secret Service could bust me for causing an unauthorized log entry-- If merely CALLING A NUMBER WITH A MODEM (or telneting to an address) can be made illegal, then we are definitely living in a police state. -- Matthew T. Russotto russotto@eng.umd.edu russotto@wam.umd.edu ][, ][+, ///, ///+, //e, //c, IIGS, //c+ --- Any questions?