back to article Freed LulzSec hacker banned from contacting Anons, wiping data

Erstwhile LulzSec spokesman Jake Davis has been freed from detention, with strict conditions on the 20-year-old's use of the internet and computers. Davis (aka Topiary), formerly of Lerwick in Shetland, was convicted of computer hacking over his role in the infamous LulzSec hacking crew in May and banged up for 24 months in …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Go

    New Job

    No doubt as a convicted 'ex' hacker the computer security industry will be queuing up to employ the criminal little scroat very shortly.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: New Job

      Once his sentance is complete, then he has served time, so should be given a chance to go straight.

      Many ex-cons use their "skills" to educate others.

      Unless of course you don't think ex-gang members should teach kids about the risks, or ex-burglars giving advice on home security, ex-car thieves about car security, ex-forgers on anti-conterfieting techniques, con-men, fraudsters, pick pockets, shop lifters and on and on.

      Without their knowledge, we'd often been left wondering how the hell they do half the stuff.

      Like it or not, sometimes we need these people to go straight and help out.

      1. Anonymous Blowhard
        Joke

        Re: New Job

        "Many ex-cons use their "skills" to educate others."

        A guy I knew who'd been done for "demanding money with menaces" advised me how I could avoid getting hurt.

      2. Irongut

        Re: New Job (AC 12:55)

        Bull. These are the people we caught so we already know what they can do and how to stop it. What the police need is help from very clever people in the relevant industries to work out the latest illegal techniques and how to stop them.

        My father used to be an expert witness for counterfeit money trials because he was a printer with time served running plants for the likes of The Times, The Gruniad and Waddingtons (who printed real as well as Monopoly money). He knows more about printing than any counterfeiter and spotted things the cops would never have found.

        1. This post has been deleted by its author

          1. Matt Bryant Silver badge
            FAIL

            Re: AbelSoul Re: New Job (AC 12:55)

            "....Such charming naiveté....." I think what you failed to understand was that Irongut was simply demonstrating a case where being a criminal was not a pre-requisite to detecting or preventing criminal activity, therefore it does not follow that you have to have criminal experience in order to successfully work on detecting or preventing future criminal techniques.

    2. NomNomNom

      Re: New Job

      I doubt he has any useful skills, he just had enough free time to waste munging about on the internet breaking things with little to no regard (skill?) for getting caught.

      "the computer security industry will be queuing up to employ the criminal little scroat very shortly"

      Why? explain which RARE skill you think he has? Not the skill of getting caught I presume.

      1. jaduncan

        Re: New Job

        Sure. Lulzsec demonstrated an unusual amount of skill at penetration. I'm sure he'd be popular as a pen tester.

  2. wowfood
    Paris Hilton

    No deleting his internet history?

    That's gonna be pretty bad. I cleaned mine out last night and freed up a couple gig of space. Admitadly most of that was porn but what can you do eh?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: No deleting his internet history?

      I think they mean "no deleting his Internet history at GCHQ" (it's like a cloud backup service that you don't want but pay for through taxes).

      1. Flywheel
        Thumb Up

        Re: No deleting his internet history?

        Hey that's a good point - next time I delete an important file or bunch of emails I'll just call up the folks at GCHQ and ask if they can restore them!

        Actually, why doesn't the government just promote GCHQ as a kindly SuperCloud with unlimited storage for British citizens' data? We're paying for it after all.

      2. Wzrd1 Silver badge

        Re: No deleting his internet history?

        "I think they mean "no deleting his Internet history at GCHQ" (it's like a cloud backup service that you don't want but pay for through taxes)."

        Pity that one cannot restore from said pre-paid backup. Or even get them to admit to the true extent of said backup.

        You know, "Hello, GCHQ? Listen, I had a drive crash and need to restore session data from Friday, the 24th. The NSA has it? OK, can you connect me?

        NSA? Listen, I had a drive crash and need to restore session data from Friday, the 24th. What do you mean I don't have a high enough clearance to access my own data?!"

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: No deleting his internet history?

      The simple solution to that is not to leave any history (i.e. Private Browsing).

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I'll bet he's glad he got banged up for computer-crimes in the UK; if he'd been done in "The Land of the Free" he'd probably still be inside until the next London Olympics.

    1. phuzz Silver badge

      Could have been worse, if he wasn't white...

      1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

        Good job he wasn't Japanese and wasn't guilty of "several MILLION counts of conspiracy to do an unauthorised act with intent to impair the operation of a computer" - then he would have faced ... nothing

        Or perhaps a fine that could be paid in vouchers to buy more stuff from Sony

  4. andy gibson
    Happy

    "sentencing by BBC Newsnight"

    Wow, I knew the BBC had lots of powers but I didn't realise Paxman now sent people down. I bet he'd like to give Boris five years.

    1. The Man Himself Silver badge

      Re: "sentencing by BBC Newsnight"

      That's exactly how I read it too....mind you, having seen Paxman at work, I think I'd rather throw myself on the mercy of the court

  5. Pen-y-gors

    Judges still don't understand computers, do they?

    "He's also forbidden from setting up encrypted files or folders, securely wiping any data or deleting his internet history."

    So he uses a VPN and Private Browsing - no internet history to be wiped...

    1. Mark 65

      Re: Judges still don't understand computers, do they?

      More bizarrely, how would they know if he securely wiped something?

      1. Matt Bryant Silver badge
        Boffin

        Re: Mark 65 Re: Judges still don't understand computers, do they?

        "....how would they know if he securely wiped something?" I would suggest this is more a warning not to try and hide any future miscreant activity. In future, if he could just wipe his gear to hide his tracks, the coppers wouldn't be able to prove much, but by adding in this to his licence they can point to a wiped system and send him straight back to prison.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    forbidden from setting up encrypted files or folders

    securely wiping any data or deleting his internet history."

    very bizarre. It's like saying: you are prohibited from defending yourself, when assaulted.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "members of the wider Anonymous collective"

    That'll be interesting to maintain, given their anonymous nature... you could be talking/working/drinking to/with one right now and not even know it.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      or members of the wider Anonymous collective.

      Fuck, I hope he doesn't IM me.

  8. Matt Bryant Silver badge
    Happy

    No nookie for Jake!

    ".....prohibited from contacting .... members of the wider Anonymous collective....." LOL! Can you just imagine the conversation:

    JAKE, IRC to Desperate Ugly Girl: "Hi, you look like you would be grateful, are you a member of Anonymous?"

    DUG: "I can't tell you, because if I was and I told you it wouldn't be Anonymous....."

    JAKE: "Damn! Another night with Ms Hand and the Finger Sisters!"

    (Cue background evil laughter from evesdropping GCHQ staff.)

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Who agreed this?

    "He's also forbidden from setting up encrypted files or folders, securely wiping any data or deleting his internet history."

    So a live image it is then.

    Idiots.

    1. Danny 14

      Re: Who agreed this?

      no bitlocker either.

  10. smudge
    Big Brother

    How is that enforced?

    He's also forbidden from ... securely wiping any data...

    "I am arresting you for having a very suspicious apparently random sequence of 0s and 1s on your hard disk...."

    In other words, they could nab him on the basis of quite literally no information!

  11. NomNomNom

    "has been freed from detention....banged up for 24 months in May"

    "However, time served wearing an electronic tag for 21 months was taken into account as part of this sentence"

    So whether or not he was found innocent or guilty he would have served 21 months anyway. So what's the point of even going to court?

    1. Pen-y-gors

      The joys of the 'justice' system in 'free', 'democratic' countries in the 21st century.

  12. BornToWin

    This decision is just absurd

    Wearing a monitor is hardly the equivalent of jail time. Two years in jail was a gift but instead this criminal spends only 37 days in jail. Then Europe wonders why digital crime has skyrocketed. DUH!

    1. Daniel B.
      Facepalm

      Re: This decision is just absurd

      You'd rather have the US system, where rapists get "rehab therapy" while one of the alleged hackers that uncovered evidence that burned them gets 10 years hard time?

  13. Fredric L. Rice

    infamous LulzSec? NO! Famous heroes

    "..infamous LulzSec..." I find it amusing that anyone would claim that LulzSec is "infamous," anyone except for right wing corporate terrorists and criminals. LulzSec are the good guys, and the author of this piece knows it.

  14. Will Godfrey Silver badge
    WTF?

    No Encryption?

    So no on-line shopping etc. He'd better not get a job either as he won't be able to fill in a tax form (I think they're either on-line now or certainly about to be)

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