UK hacker awaits extradition verdict
UK hacker awaits extradition verdict
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Saturday, 29, Apr 2006 11:40
British hacker Gary McKinnon has come to the end of over a four year wait for a verdict over extradition orders to the United States.
The 40-year-old former systems administrator, who was arrested by the National High Tech Crime Unit in March 2002, will receive his verdict on May 10th over whether he will be extradited to the US to face trial over alleged attacks on military and NASA systems.
He is currently on bail in the UK with a condition that restricts him from accessing the internet except during the course of employment.
McKinnon has admitted to accessing the computer systems but claims he did not do any harm. He says he accessed the systems to find evidence that the US had been hiding secrets over UFO findings.
Speaking at a trade show in London on Thursday, McKinnon says he is fighting to be tried for his offences in the UK. Extradition to the US means he may face charges under anti-terrorism legislation.
"I'm very worried. Whatever happens I'll have a fight on my hands for the next 18 months or so," he said. "If I'm sent to the US, I'd face trial in front of a secret military tribunal."
In his speech, McKinnon was keen to discourage others from dabbling in hacking: "Organised criminals are far more effective than script kiddies or those that hack for an intellectual challenge because they know the sentence they face."
