No cracking programs, no scanners, nothing
which might account for the delay described in the report. Even if he
had been responsible, he found it hard to believe the Western allies'
victory in the Gulf War was determined by one computer in Berkshire.
All of which gave him cause to wonder why the media was running this
story now, after Wandii's acquittal but before he and Gandalf were
sentenced. Sour grapes, perhaps?
For days, columnists, editorial and letter writers across Britain
pontificated on the meaning of the Wandii's verdict and the validity
of an addiction to hacking as a defence. Some urged computer owners to
take responsibility for securing their own systems. Others called for
tougher hacking laws. A few echoed the view of The Times, which
declared in an editorial, `a persistent car thief of [the hacker's]
age would almost certainly have received a custodial sentence. Both
crimes suggest disrespect for other people's property ... the jurors
may have failed to appreciate the seriousness of this kind of
offence'.10
The debate flew forward, changing and growing, and expanding beyond
Britain's borders. In Hong Kong, the South China Morning Post asked,
`Is [this] case evidence of a new social phenomenon, with immature and
susceptible minds being damaged through prolonged exposure to personal
computers?' The paper described public fear that Wandii's case would
result in `the green light for an army of computer-literate hooligans
to pillage the world's databases at will, pleading insanity when
caught'.
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