Wanted by the Pentagon: UFO fanatic appeals

Wanted by the Pentagon: UFO fanatic appeals

www.smh.com.au

The 44 year old, who is a cult hero on YouTube, has spawned a website called FreeGary and has inflamed the twilight world of UFO fanatics.

He insists he hacked into the computer networks only to find evidence of extra-terrestrial landings.

He is self-taught and worked under the name Solo but managed to cause more than £475,000 ($990,660) in damage to some of the most supposedly secure computers in the US, including those operated by NASA, the Pentagon and several arms of the US military.

(visit the link for the full news article)

This one is kind of interesting. Hacked into pentagon computers looking for UFO secretes. I did not see where it said if he found any of them. Perhaps he should have hacked the CIA computers. All the jokeing aside I think the real issue here is he did hack what is supose to be some of the most secure computers there are. So if he could do it how many other people are?

www.smh.com.au
(visit the link for the full news article)

I had been following this case since the extradition requests started to fly. Frankly, his claims are somewhat 'questionable'. His methodology in 'hacking' the US official networks was more to the shame of the IT folks here than a tribute to his genius. He called a BBS number and simply logged onto their board.

He claims to have accessed graphic information via modem (that's right - telephone line) that would have taken a significant amount of time to download, the information was not classified other than for official use only. The alleged satellite imagery showed peculiar shapes on a runway which he claimed was a UFO. The images were never released publicly, so we'll never know for sure.

The price tag on the 'damages' was a stereotypical legal contrivance cooked up by those who would
1- elevate the degree of the crime by bringing a 'hard' number to the table.
2- further influence the British to allow the extradition to take place.
3- have this excuse the payment of over priced consultants to 'secure' what was supposed to have been a secured network in the first place.

In my opinion, this case was brought as a 'teething' tool for international e-crime (terror) laws which had not yet been exercised publicly. His case is in the current state because it wrapped up in the 'anti-terror' machinations of the post 9/11 days. This guy is a hapless victim of circumstance and all this publicity is the only silver lining he can cling to. At least the UFO enthusiasts will welcome him now.

[edit on 17-6-2008 by Maxmars]

[edit on 17-6-2008 by Maxmars]

reply to post by Maxmars


Thanks for posting
Everything you said does seem to make some sense. I have not been following the case but I will at least try to keep an ear open for developments in it as things move on.

Here's an older BBC piece, for background purposes:

Military 'hacker' freed on bail

He is accused of hacking into computer networks operated by Nasa, the US Army, US Navy, Department of Defence and the US Air Force.

One of the networks belonged to the Pentagon.

The US estimates the costs of tracking and correcting the problems he allegedly caused were around $1m (£570,000).

If he is extradited and found guilty, Mr McKinnon faces a long sentence in the US.

The Briton was indicted in 2002 by a federal grand jury on eight counts of computer-related crimes in 14 different states.

It claimed that he hacked into an army computer at Fort Myer, Virginia, obtained administrator privileges and transmitted codes, information and commands.

Unauthorised access

He is accused of then deleting around 1,300 user accounts.

The indictment alleged Mr McKinnon also deleted "critical system files" on the computer, copied a file containing usernames and encrypted passwords for the computer and installed tools to gain unauthorised access to other computers.

At the time of the indictment Paul McNulty, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said: "Mr McKinnon is charged with the biggest military computer hack of all time."

I must point out that the stated magnitude of the 'hack' is hyperbole. Undoubtedly, in order to secure his extradition, it would have to have been a 'colossal' undertaking of world class cyber-terrorism! On his 14.4K modem.

All communications between computers involved transmitting and receiving "codes". The only computer he hacked into was 'foolishly' set up as an unsecured gateway through which all sorts of interesting doors to BBSs like NASAs. Since he accessed the gateway, he is charged with hacking ALL of the hosted links, more legal tripe. If he was stupid enough to attempt to access, open, and manipulate the account control files, he is going to jail. Especially since once the checksum value changes the system dumps it all and zero's the file. If not, he might still be going to jail, just not for sabotage. Was it worth it?

I think not.


[edit on 17-6-2008 by Maxmars]

HAHAHA you arent doing much on a 14k modem.
I totally agree with the above post.

This isnt my first rodeo. This guy is definately being built up.
Sounds like someone who knew just enough to get in trouble.
And not nearly enough to use the right equipment.

n00b

He could not have hacked into any real secure computers with that type of info he claims he saw, as all of that type of information would be on a totally separate network not connected to the real world network. The military keeps all it's secure information on what is called the DISA network(SIPER and NIPER networks). It is impossible to get into unless you actually get into a secure facility that has a computer on that particular network and the odds of anyone getting into one of those facilities without getting shot is highly unlikely. In other words he saw nothing.He is more than likely making up what he really saw to make this a more grandiose story and garner sympathy.

[edit on 05/16/2008 by CaptGizmo]

Talking about this news is like talking about hiking of gas price Gov have to do what they what to do if you try to ask other to join hands to stop it you get nailed down by so called RULE & LAW

[edit on 17-6-2008 by 123space]

reply to post by RedGolem


Do a search on ATS for Gary McKinnon and you will find many threads.

If I recall he is a Stoner who gets his thrills breaking into other peoples property and stealing information. He has no credibility and deserves whatever happens to him. He should have jumped on a plane and confessed instead of fighting it. He probably would have gotten a few weeks and been home before the next season of South Park. Loser's like that never think that way though; do they?



[edit on 6/17/2008 by Blaine91555]

Originally posted by Memysabu
HAHAHA you arnt doing much on a 14k modem.
I totally agree with the above post.

This isnt my first rodeo. This guy is definataly being built up.
Sounds like someone who knew just enough to get in trouble.
And not nearly enough to use the right equipment.

n00b

good points but he would have had difficulty getting decent broadband in the UK when this was done! Trust me I had real problems getting a stable modem connection in 2000 -2003 in the UK for work never mind broadband... age and wisdom there.

Just a factual statement, and hacking does not require broadband speeds esp if done well on c or c++ not really relevant, you could hack with a 3g phone now if you have the right software or dos command prompt telnet etc and know a thing or 2,000000

I also think we shouldn't be having a pop at this guy. Though what he did is illegal and therefore I do not condone it in any way, rather than just talk about, and analyse to death other peoples "proof" or "information" at least he tried to get it directly from the horses mouth.

So unlike many internet posters as above spending an inordinately large part of their life, judgeing, and assimilating masses of others peoples research and veiws, taken the good and bad and creating our framework or reference of reality, he was much more eager and on a bit of the mythical "warrior" part of his life to get to the "source" or truth regarding the alien matter.

Maybe we mock because he reminds us of this, reminds us the armchair commentators of our weakness in being that zealous in search of truth?

Because just maybe we are just looking for things to back up our point of view with others of a like mind or finding sources of information, for our comfort, not looking for the source of the truth.

I respect him for that and admit my weakness in that regard in recent years! though his illegal act cant be justified, as its mmmm illegal if you get my drift!

My "2 c" oh and also Blainne the postulation he would be home in a couple of weeks from America is more ludicrous than him actually finding any proof of aliens on the network he was accessing, and it was all because they use Windows too lol.

Anyhow the case is going to the Law Lords in the uk to fight extradition because already members of the US elected representatives and their staff have stated he will "fry"!

He is looking at at least 40 years in jail.... what you said is wrong, has no factual basis.
To be honest if I was the dude I would be scared of waking up in a jet bound for Syria the day after extradition, and then being locked in a shipping crate in the heat of the desert with "barny" and his friends singing to me at massive decibels the same song for weeks on end.
A couple of weeks youve gote to be joking, read the news recently? even the MSM?

Trying to put this topic and thread in the context it should be on ATS !

Kind Regards,

Elf

Just question and some light banter - Did you also know that he hacked into Oxford Uni, and out of that UNi the F.B.I and all the others, guess which one he said was the hardest.....Oxford ! (Or was it cambridge ? well you get the point)

Question - Arnt the 'Damages' technicy fake, im sure that those dmages are what those groups said it cost them to secure there system from another hacking attempt and Not what Gary had done. Isnt some law that they could only of arrested him in the UK and then him to the US if he did $X amount of Damage ?

reply to post by ProTo Fire Fox


apparently every computer he was on, he caused $5000 damage exactly, which is what is needed for extradition for cybercrime. i seriously doubt the military or government are using machines that that much damage could be done.those would be pretty hardcore gaming machines, which are completely unnecessary for day to day office networks.
extremely unlikely...

if they are talking about huge data servers, maybe, but he said himself he was hacking into unsecured workstations that had no administrator passwords. he was caught when someone noticed he was trying to download something remotely. he even had a text conversation with one of the it guys there. so unlikely any physical damage was done. just a lot of embarrasement and hurt pride.
apparently he wasn't the only one on there either.

Originally posted by Blaine91555


Do a search on ATS for Gary McKinnon and you will find many threads.

Not farmiler with him but I have known a hacker in the past. I will look for the name though, thanks.