U.K. gov't to hear hacker's case against extradition to U.S.

McKinnon is accused of causing $961,000 worth of damage to computers by hacking into U.S. systems

By Computerworld U.K. staff

July 31, 2007 12:00 PM ET

Comments

Computerworld UK - Gary McKinnon, the ex-systems administrator accused of conducting the biggest military hack of all time, has won the right to have his case against extradition to the U.S. heard by the U.K. House of Lords.

The decision gives McKinnon and legal team a fresh chance to challenge the extradition, having argued previously that the U.S. authorities acted in an "oppressive" manner to secure his removal from the U.K.

McKinnon has always maintained that, since the alleged offenses took place in the U.K., that is where he should stand trial. No date has been set for the House of Lords hearing, and he remains on bail.

"Gary McKinnon is delighted to learn of this important development," said his barrister, Ben Cooper.

McKinnon, who is accused of causing $961,000 worth of damage to computers by hacking into systems belonging to the Pentagon, NASA and the U.S. military from his home in North London, could face a life sentence in jail with no chance of repatriation if he is extradited to the U.S. (see "Massive hacking spree halted; man indicted ").

At a hearing in February that went against McKinnon, his lawyers claimed that under human rights law, he had a right to be tried in the U.K.

They accused U.S. investigators of trying to coerce McKinnon into accepting a secret plea bargain by threatening him with a long prison sentence if he did not collaborate.

McKinnon, who hacked into the U.S. systems shortly after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, is the first U.K. hacker to face extradition to the U.S. The case has been widely viewed as an attempt by U.S. prosecutors to deter other would-be hackers.

Comment Recommend Digg Twitter ShareThis

Email Print Send Feedback Reprints

Jump to comments

McKinnon

Additional Resources

Xerox

Win a color printer!

By using solid ink technology only from Xerox, you could save up to 65% by printing color for the cost of black and white. Enter for a chance to WIN a PhaserTM 8860 network color printer!

Microsoft

Upgrade to Internet Explorer 8 today.

Save time and mitigate security risk. Deploy it now.

Sybase

NEXT-GENERATION MOBILITY PLATFORMS

In this white paper, IDC analyzes the role of next-generation mobile enterprise platforms as organizations seek a more strategic deployment of mobile solutions.

Learn the important issues you must consider before starting your next mobility initiative. Get your mobility white paper from IDC now, compliments of Sybase.

What People Are Saying

4 comments | Add new

See all comments (4) | Add new

White Papers & Webcasts

Share our Strength
Download Now

Lower the Cost and Complexity of a Mobile Workforce through Automation
Download This Resource Now!

Top 10 Things to Know about Data Protection
Download Now

Managing Mobility: Improve Data Security, Compliance and Manageability
Download This Resource Now!

Top 10 Actions a CIO Can Take to Prepare for a Hurricane
Download Now

Managing Secure File Transfer to Save Time, Money and IT Resources
Learn how companies are using innovative technology to overcome these challenges and improve user productivity by offloading e-mail attachments and replacing FTP with...

Ponemon Study: The Business Risk of a Lost Laptop
Download Now

Security Convergence Equals Network Security Cost Savings
Listen to IBM Internet Security Systems' take on network security convergence.

Airport Insecurity: The Case of Lost Laptops
Download Now

Disaster Recovery 2008: Reduced Costs and Improved Performance
How long can your Enterprise afford to be without your data? With an accelerated disaster recovery program, you never have to answer this...

All White Papers | All Webcasts