Latest Expert Witness News

Hacker faces 60 years in US prison

Scottish hacker Gary McKinnon has admitted breaking into United States government computers as he attempts to halt his extradition. McKinnon has confessed to charges under the UK Computer Misuse Act, in the hope he will be face justice at home, rather than in the US.

If extradited he could face up to 60 years in jail if convicted.

The Crown Prosecution Service is now considering McKinnon's request to be prosecuted in the UK. McKinnon, who suffers from Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism, is accused of hacking into and damaging 97 US navy, US army, Nasa and Pentagon computers.

It is understood that, at the time of his arrest in 2002, the US authorities had wanted to make an example of the Glasgow-born computer expert. At about the same time, another British hacker was allowed to serve his sentence at home.

He was caught in 2002 as he tried to download from a Nasa computer a grainy black and white photograph that he believed was an alien spacecraft. He was easily traced by the authorities because he had used his own e-mail address.

The US claims he was responsible for the biggest military computer hack of all time.

back