[ISN] NASA hacker to speak at security show

[InfoSec News]

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/security/0,39020375,39263341,00.htm

Tom Espiner
ZDNet UK
April 13, 2006

Gary McKinnon will be joined by other hackers and security experts on
a panel discussion at the Infosecurity conference this month

Gary McKinnon faces the prospect of an indefinite stay in Guantanamo
Bay, but this won't prevent him from appearing on a panel discussing
hacking at a UK security conference, it was revealed on Thursday.

The NASA hacker is currently fighting extradition to the US in what
has been a protracted trial. He is charged with gaining unauthorised
access to 97 US government computers, including machines belonging to
NASA and the US Department of Defense. He claims he was searching for
evidence of UFOs.

McKinnon appeared at Bow Street Magistrate's Court on Wednesday for an
extradition hearing. His defence argued that he should not be
extradited as he could be tried under America's tough anti-terrorism
laws. This could see him sent to Guantanamo Bay and imprisoned for up
to 60 years.

The prosecution produced an unsigned note from the US Embassy, which
they claimed was a guarantee that McKinnon would not be tried under
Military Order Number One. The Order allows suspected terrorists to be
tried under military law, or held indefinitely without trial under the
orders of the US president.

The defence argued that the diplomatic note was not legally binding as
it had not been signed. "It's not worth the paper it's written on,"  
McKinnon said outside the court.

McKinnon will be joined on the panel by Robert Schifreen, who in 1985
became the first person ever to be tried by a jury in connection with
computer hacking.

Schifreen broke into the BT Prestel network at system manager level
and accessed an account belonging to HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. He was
charged with forgery, but ultimately acquitted by the House of Lords
after legal proceedings which lasted three years. The Computer Misuse
Act came into force in 1990, which outlaws the unauthorised
modification of computer systems.

Also appearing on the panel will be security expert Bob Ayers, who had
a 29-year career with the US Department of Defense. His principal IT
security related assignment was with the Defense Intelligence Agency
where he served as chief of the Intelligence Information System
Computer Security Program.

Ayers will be joined by open source Web application security expert
Ivan Ristic.

The panel will kick off at 1445 BST at Infosecurity Europe on the 27
April in London.