If you're looking for worldwide press and Internet attention, there's really only one thing you need: a cat. At least that seems to be the lesson of the anonymous hacker that has led Japanese law enforcement on a wild goose chase for months.
On New Year's Day, media outlets received emailed riddles leading them to the "chance for a big scoop." After solving various emailed riddles, police found a digital memory card attached to the collar of a cat near Tokyo. The actual process of cat-finding is unclear, but we'd like to think it involved a massive cat-sorting on one of Japan's cat islands. Wired reports that it contained information about the "Remote Control Virus," information only its creator would know.
Using the virus, the hacker has sent bomb threats against schools from computers around the country. Police seem flummoxed, and after the National Police Agency (NPA) extracted confessions from four people who were later found to have nothing to do with the emails, the NPA chief has promised his cyber-crime unit would "brush up on its skills."
There's no word yet on what they did with the cat.
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from Salt Lake City, Utah
It was no human hacker, the cat did it all!
"I think hacking is cool. The changing an existing product to be better and not harm another in the process".
But to all those hackers that cause harm and create viruses, I think they should get a life sentence in jail!
Nice to know your opinion of justice, robot. If you would give a life sentence for creating a virus what would you do for actual assault, firing squad?
polycaronated,
It takes a highly intelligent mind to create a virus, then add to this it randomly harms people they do not know, crash you device, know you passwords and bank accounts, take your money or destroy your life or credit, etc. Yes that pisses me OFF!
No, I do not want a firing squad. Yes, I do want these people punished via the normal judicial system.
I don't know about the rest of you but one thing I got is
extracted confessions from four people who were later found to have nothing to do with the emails.
this is what I have always said, confesions without proof may be nothing but police abusing thier power over a suspect
Clifford Cannon,
After I did a search of the word 'confession' in hope it might have various meanings, I found your interpretation correct and also worrisome for the four peoples.
Kitty! I name you Quarter (or Quartet if its a girl) on account of him having 1/4 brown on his face.
But besides the point. I have a mostly negative opinion for hackers. Maybe their punishment should be as if doing a deed hands-on, maybe a bit more to discourage hacking. Stealing documents or money, pay it back, charged with theft and maybe he/she is no longer able to use devices more advanced than a Nintendo DS(Not the lite version :P)
These are kinda new rules that have to be made. Not to say mine are the right ones, but there should be rules.
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I reject your reality, and substitute my own.
Oh man... I clicked the link for the cat island. I will retire there. So many cats... So... Many... Cats...
Oh yeah. I love cats :]
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I reject your reality, and substitute my own.
Most hackers are decent people. There are some creeps who spy on their exes, but hey , eventually karma or the police will catch up with them. I wonder how long good karma hackers could feasibly operate?
The galaxy is on Orion's belt.