NationStates Jolt Archive

What are your thoughts on malicious hackers (crackers, script kiddies, etc.) who deface web sites, replacing them with content designed to make some political point?

What are your thoughts on malicious hackers (crackers, script kiddies, etc.) who deface web sites, replacing them with content designed to make some political point?

Seems kind of Petty, just like Regular Vandalism.

Seems kind of Petty, just like Regular Vandalism.

Except much more costly. When a wall is spray painted with a message you know what the person did and all you need to do is paint over it. When someone defaces a web site many work hours are spent auditing the system to ensure that the only damage done was the vandalism. It would be like regular vandalism if regular vandalism required structural engineers to check the foundations of the building that was vandalized.

Except much more costly. When a wall is spray painted with a message you know what the person did and all you need to do is paint over it. When someone defaces a web site many work hours are spent auditing the system to ensure that the only damage done was the vandalism. It would be like regular vandalism if regular vandalism required structural engineers to check the foundations of the building that was vandalized.

Actually regular Vandalism is much more Costly. I work as a Security Guard at a mall and to Repaint a wall that has been spraypainted costs a lot of Money.
Not only repaint but strip off the old paint.

Actually regular Vandalism is much more Costly. I work as a Security Guard at a mall and to Repaint a wall that has been spraypainted costs a lot of Money.
Not only repaint but strip off the old paint.

A painter makes minimum wage. A Computer forensics specialist makes 5 times that or more.

treat them like any other vandal, but in this case international vandal.

A painter makes minimum wage. A Computer forensics specialist makes 5 times that or more.

Painters are actually mostly contracted for the whole job, and Painters as a general rule as with most other construction occupations charge way to much money for what they do. I'm talking thousands of dollars to repaint a whole wall at a mall. Also, most regular vandalism is on public property and the bill goes right to Taxpayers, until the guys that did it get caught.

Painters are actually mostly contracted for the whole job, and Painters as a general rule as with most other construction occupations charge way to much money for what they do. I'm talking thousands of dollars to repaint a whole wall at a mall. Also, most regular vandalism is on public property and the bill goes right to Taxpayers, until the guys that did it get caught.

Sure, but if you wanna start itemizing, the computer incident will still win. You have to pay the forensics person to find out how the security was breached and what was changed, the sysadmin needs to work over time restoring things from backup, you may need an IT security engineer to audit the system so something like this wont happen again, legitimate users will be unable to use the system while it is being worked on which leads to tremendous opportunity costs, then everyone involved has to spend extra time writing up all relevant reports and handing it off to the incident response specialists who will work with authorities (whose time also needs to be accounted for) etc, etc.

Sure, but if you wanna start itemizing, the computer incident will still win. You have to pay the forensics person to find out how the security was breached and what was changed, the sysadmin needs to work over time restoring things from backup, you may need an IT security engineer to audit the system so something like this wont happen again, legitimate users will be unable to use the system while it is being worked on which leads to tremendous opportunity costs, then everyone involved has to spend extra time writing up all relevant reports and handing it off to the incident response specialists who will work with authorities (whose time also needs to be accounted for) etc, etc.

Regardless, they are both wrong and should both be punished accordingly. I think appropriate punishment is to pay for all the damages their defacement has caused.

Regardless, they are both wrong and should both be punished accordingly. I think appropriate punishment is to pay for all the damages their defacement has caused.

The problem is that they are typically teenagers without a penny to their names. They need to spend a few weeks in prison so that they learn their lesson. Its easy to forget that what you do online has real life implications when you are a kid, but spending a few weeks in prison should really drive home that lesson.

The problem is that they are typically teenagers without a penny to their names. They need to spend a few weeks in prison so that they learn their lesson. Its easy to forget that what you do online has real life implications when you are a kid, but spending a few weeks in prison should really drive home that lesson.

That is true but, there is a case in the town where I live where two youg teens were caught and charged with vandalism and they have to pay it off. So they are going to be working it off for a long time. That also will drive home the point.

The problem is that they are typically teenagers without a penny to their names. They need to spend a few weeks in prison so that they learn their lesson. Its easy to forget that what you do online has real life implications when you are a kid, but spending a few weeks in prison should really drive home that lesson.

Why not make them usefull. Punish them with hard labor or many, many hours of community service. Make them work off the damage they caused.