Journalist Convicted of Helping Anonymous Hack Tribune Co.

[habitsbreaker]

http://www.theverge.com/2015/10/7/94...eface-la-times

ok, am confused how did he help them hack it if he just gave them a password, dose this mean if i give someone my uni pass and he hack my uni site i might get 25 years in jail?

[Kujako]

dose this mean if i give someone my uni pass and he hack my uni site i might get 25 years in jail?

Yes it does. Much like if you gave them the keys to your place of employment so they could rob it you would be complacent in the robbery.

[Gumboy]

How is it hacking if someone gives you a password lol? No "Hacking" was done...

[Blueobelisk]

*makes grumbling noise that I had to click the article because you didn't quote it*

ok, am confused how did he help them hack it if he just gave them a password, dose this mean if i give someone my uni pass and he hack my uni site i might get 25 years in jail?

If you had a privileged position where you had access to sensitive stuff and you gave your info away with instructions to wreak havoc then yes. If you want your friend to use your student account to get wifi, probably not.

[Masark]

ok, am confused how did he help them hack it if he just gave them a password

Because people who can't figure out how to set the time on their VCRs make laws regarding technology and juries are comprised of 12 people too stupid to get out of jury duty.

[Planeshaper]

I think the action of inflating the damages in order to enforce a high punishment is a disgraceful corruption of the justice system.

But this guy deserves his punishment.

[therealbowser]

I think the action of inflating the damages in order to enforce a high punishment is a disgraceful corruption of the justice system.

But this guy deserves his punishment.

This, basically.

[Gheld]

Because people who can't figure out how to set the time on their VCRs make laws regarding technology and juries are comprised of 12 people too stupid to get out of jury duty.

I'm sigging this. This is the truest thing I've ever heard; and the saddest little bit of exposition about how our society is run.

[Sevyvia]

How is it hacking if someone gives you a password lol? No "Hacking" was done...

Because half the time hacking is just someone getting a password out of someone else. Watch movies if you want the stereotypical approach.

[Gheld]

Because half the time hacking is just someone getting a password out of someone else. Watch movies if you want the stereotypical approach.

You mean it doesn't involve getting on a 1990s computer that makes beeping noises with every single keypress and typing stupid commands like /hack computer?

[Xar226]

I don't see the word "hack" anywhere in the article other than in describing Anonymous. Did it change?

In any event, "hacker" and "hack" are often misused and that's something you just have to get over; no matter how many times it's explained to journalists and other laymen, they don't care enough to use them properly.

Either way, I think these charges are wildly trumped up. Transmission of malicious code? How can authentication details be malicious? The purpose is malicious, but nothing being transmitted was. That's two of the three charges that should never have stuck. The third charge, conspiracy to cause damage to a protected computer, seems perfectly legitimate as that is exactly what he did.

25 years? Sure as fuck shouldn't be. Given the lack of harm caused I wouldn't even issue a jail sentence if I were the judge -- surely not 25 years. But we're crazy like that in the US, so I wouldn't be surprised to see him get a sentence in the high single digits.

Edit: Good news, the prosecutors are actually being reasonable people. The article says they are likely to ask for less than five years, and that he may just receive probation. That is as it should be.

[Mormolyce]

http://www.theverge.com/2015/10/7/94...eface-la-times

ok, am confused how did he help them hack it if he just gave them a password, dose this mean if i give someone my uni pass and he hack my uni site i might get 25 years in jail?

You don't get convicted of conspiracy by being hacked. This guy admitted he provided them with the details and says he was trying to infiltrate Anonymous to get a story out of it.

From reading the article the guy sounds pretty dodgy, but 25 years is a ridiculous sentence for something like this IMO.

[Gheld]

I don't see the word "hack" anywhere in the article other than in describing Anonymous. Did it change?

In any event, "hacker" and "hack" are often misused and that's something you just have to get over; no matter how many times it's explained to journalists and other laymen, they don't care enough to use them properly.

Either way, I think these charges are wildly trumped up. Transmission of malicious code? How can authentication details be malicious? The purpose is malicious, but nothing being transmitted was. That's two of the three charges that should never have stuck. The third charge, conspiracy to cause damage to a protected computer, seems perfectly legitimate as that is exactly what he did.

25 years? Sure as fuck shouldn't be. Given the lack of harm caused I wouldn't even issue a jail sentence if I were the judge -- surely not 25 years. But we're crazy like that in the US, so I wouldn't be surprised to see him get a sentence in the high single digits.

They're just trying to prevent a digital 9/11 from the technological ISIS Terrorism scary buzzwords!

[Mormolyce]

How is it hacking if someone gives you a password lol? No "Hacking" was done...

Neither the article nor the court charges use the word "hacking", only the OP does.

- - - Updated - - -

They're just trying to prevent a digital 9/11 from the technological ISIS Terrorism scary buzzwords!

I'm picturing a retro-graphics tower collapsing on an old one of those handheld game things from the 80s with the LCD displays that always broke.