Security Company Accused Of Hacking Military Networks

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- The head of an Internet security company that claimed to have found dangerous loopholes in U.S. military computers has been indicted on charges of hacking government networks for financial gain. Brett Edward O'Keefe, 36, was arrested and indicted Monday on six counts of conspiracy to access military, government and private computers, said U.S. Attorney Carol Lam. O'Keefe was scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday in federal court.

The indictment accuses O'Keefe of sharing military files with news media to generate favorable publicity for his San Diego company, ForensicTec Solutions Inc. O'Keefe allegedly had unauthorized possession of files from NASA, the Army, the Navy, the Department of Energy, and the National Institutes of Health.

I guess, but I don't think it is fair to compare anyone to an ABC reporter. :Þ

http://wagblog.internetweek.com/

Mitch Wagners blog (9/30/03) on the subject:

"Sometimes, prison is an inappropriate sentence for computer criminals. Sometimes, you just want to slap them across the face with a halibut.

Example: Brett Edward O'Keefe was arrested and indicted Monday on six counts of conspiracy to access military, government and private computers. The indictment accuses O'Keefe of sharing military files with news media to generate favorable publicity for his San Diego company, ForensicTec Solutions. He allegedly had unauthorized possession of files from NASA, the Army, the Navy, the Department of Energy, and the National Institutes of Health.

So let's get out the big fish and start slapping O'Keefe with it: "Hell-o! [slap] You broke into military computers?! [slap!] Not too long after 9/11?! [slap!] And you got a bunch of files and then TOLD THE MEDIA?! [slap!] What did you THINK would happen after that?! [slap!]"

On the other hand, it's important not to rush to judgment in computer crime cases; prosecutors have a history of exaggerating the damage that defendants did in an effort to make the defendants look more sinister. Now, as the authors of the MSBlaster, Swen and other major viruses wander around freely with apparently complete impunity, prosecutors are under a lot of pressure to produce high-profile hacker crime defendants. This is exactly the kind of political environment in which innocent people get wrongfully convicted.

I'm not saying O'Keefe IS innocent. I'm just saying at this point, we don't know. Watch this space for further information, and watch "My Cousin Vinny" to learn why you should not presume defendants are guilty just because the headlines say they've been arrested."

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