Cyber law

international | sci-tech | opinion/analysis Sunday January 29, 2006 10:46 by Seán Ryan

A short exploration of computer exploitation, with some tips and advice

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The British Home Office last Wednesday outlined in the Police and Justice Bill new measures that when they come into effect will double maximum jail sentences for hackers.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/01/26/uk_computer_cri...vamp/

As Bertie left the head of the table of the EU. Ireland had one more contribution to make.

Digital signatures. A process whereby your children or anyone else with the knowhow and knowledge of you can legally bind you to a contract of their choosing.

It's all nuts.

You can buy Microsoft Windows XP at a retail store, that's where you make a contract; you hand over money, you get the product and the product will perform as specified and shall last as long as a court can define as reasonable (In this case it's software and should last forever.).

Aside from the lifetime, the functionality and the bloated cost, you've now got your 'software' for want of a lesser description. But you've also bought yourself a contract with Microsoft, one that you must submit to, without negotiation, one that has not formed part of the original contract either. When you forked over your cash for what is a total piece of shite, you did not agree to be bound by some contract to be viewed by you at a later date, ie. when you try to install it.

A hacker is a person who breaks into your computer, computer network, or server or whatever. The moment this hacker gains entry into a system that he or she is not cleared to enter, he or she has hacked. After that you have two varieties, you have the browsers who just want information, for whatever, and you have those who actively intefere with the system, examples would include financial exploitation, data addition or modification, or take down.

Now to get a bit more technical and at the same time dumb down, computers are not complex. Your computer is a physical entity. Software might exist on a physical entity, like a cd, but in reality the closest it gets to becoming a physical entity is when it becomes simple electrical pulses in your computer's memory. Microsoft Windows in all its mutations is an operating system, of which there are many. It can be considered to be a mathematical model that approaches the diversity in functionality of the physical computer itself. The main point here again, is that the software is not an actual or an intrinsic part of your computer.

Yet microsoft windows will record every typed word you ever input into your computer, and place it where you will probably not find it. Internet explorer will log every site you ever visit and duplicate this knowledge over many files, none of which you can delete without either specialist software or knowhow.

Microsoft Internet Explorer x (x=the bigger the number the more likely you'll get shafted) is a target for most hackers, and is most vunerable to commercial assholes too. And it is damn near impossible to scrub from the operating system should you uninstall it.

Microsoft XP with current updates forces users to the MSN network when they use the internet, where if you haven't been screwed by someone other than microsoft, you will be.

I could go on an on and on. But I won't, I've said more than enough to make my point.

My point?

If anyone sees that bastard Gates in Ireland, call the Gardaí. Not only should he be done for hacking, fraud (bloat = adding loads of shite to something to make it commercially more expensive), but he should be done for false advertising and for creating the most devestating virus ever created and outrageously calling it an operating system.

And not for the first time: whose damn interests do governments look out for?

Here's a site I love. XP users express their feelings for XP, it updates quite often. Very handy should windows prompt you to destroy that lovely piece of hardware that you shelled out so much for, read the experiences of others and loose the urge to kill.
http://www.ihatewindowsxp.com/rants/rants.php

Here's another useful link, sadly the original site owners had to sell up. The new owners don't update too regularly, but the links and info are very useful.
http://www.fuckmicrosoft.com/

Another thing it might be useful to remember.

To be considered credible in today's computer industry, one must have microsoft credentials.

It'll all end in tears.

Sláinte
Seán