British 'hacker' fights extradition to US
Stuart Millar, technology correspondent Thursday November 14, 2002 The Guardian
A British computer administrator charged with mounting the biggest yet hacking campaign against US military computers yesterday accused the American authorities of trying to make an example of him, as he promised to fight extradition.
Gary McKinnon, 36, from Hornsey in north London, also accused the crown prosecution service of being politically motivated in allowing him to be prosecuted in the US rather than in a British court.
Mr McKinnon is alleged to have used the hacker handle Solo, and was indicted in his absence in two US states on Tuesday for allegedly hacking into 92 military and Nasa space agency networks, including one attack on a New Jersey naval base that closed down its systems for a week immediately after September 11.
He was tracked down by officers from Britain's hi-tech crime unit after Nasa traced an attack on its networks to a computer in the UK. He was arrested and questioned in March, released on police bail, and reinterviewed in August.
In September the US authorities took the unusual decision to seek extradition, and Mr McKinnon was no longer required to answer police bail. He will remain free until American prosecutors submit their extradition application and seek his arrest.
His solicitor, Karen Todner, said yesterday: "The crown prosecution service has the power and opportunity to charge Mr McKinnon, a British citizen, with offences for which he could stand trial in this country. However, they have chosen not to pursue this course of action and are allowing the American authorities to apply for the extradition of a British citizen.
"We can only assume that the motivation is political and that it is proposed to make an example of Mr McKinnon."
She said her client intended to oppose any extradition application, adding: "We also wish to emphasise on behalf of Mr McKinnon that he has no terrorist link whatsoever."
British police sources describe Mr McKinnon as a "serious hacker", and believe he was trying to "make a point".
While US prosecutors concede that Mr McKinnon did not access classified files, they say his case is being treated so seriously because of the "potential harm" he could have done.
Mr McKinnon, who is unemployed, has been indicted on eight charges of computer crime involving $900,000 (£600,000) worth of damage to computers in 14 states.
He was indicted in a federal court in Virginia on seven charges of computer fraud, each carrying a prison sentence of up to 10 years and a $250,000 fine. In New Jersey he is accused of hacking into the Earle naval base, where the Atlantic fleet is armed and supplied, and closing down its network of 300 computers.
Prosecutors allege that only a "professional hacker" could have mounted such a sophisticated campaign.
They say he gained access to military computers, including two Pentagon networks, by detecting vulnerabilities in their Windows operating systems and installing Hungarian-made software called Remotely Anywhere, which allowed him to assume control of the machines.
Peter Sommer, a computer security expert at the London School of Economics, said: "It is the computer equivalent of walking on to an army base and putting on a stolen uniform, which allows you to go much further than you could in civilian clothes."
US authorities said it would be several weeks before extradition papers were presented. The US attorney's office in Virginia is drawing up an affidavit which, if Mr McKinnon fights extradition, will be sent to the Foreign Office after approval by the US justice and state departments.