Hacking of Florida elections websites brings criminal charges

[The Second Stone]

Source: Miami Herald

TALLAHASSEE

The young cybersleuth says he exposed security lapses on Florida elections websites, but the state says he committed a crime.

David Levin, 31, of Estero, a political consultant and owner of a computer security firm, was booked Wednesday on three felony charges of unauthorized access to computer systems. Each count carries a maximum five-year prison sentence.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article75835012.html#storylink=cpy

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article75835012.html

---

It is illegal to access computer data you are not supposed to access. It is, in fact, a crime.

This guy says he was just exposing the flaws. I wonder how that defense will work.

[LiberalArkie]

1. The flaws were there so that the people correcting the vote could do their job.

[lark]

2. Scott is mean and vindictive, of course the guy was indicted.

How dare he show the world how Scott and his buds were skewing the vote so they'd win. Scott paid really good $$ for that service and doesn't appreciate it being made public.

[L. Coyote]

4. OFCS! Why dilute a really important issue with a sting of BS?

Unless, of course, you have evidence to back up your BS'ing.

[Arugula Latte]

3. It's only legal if you're flipping votes to R ...

Otherwise you are SOoL.

[jtuck004]

5. The network admin ought to be put in jail. She or he is commtting malpractice.

"“It’s extremely flawed,” Sinclair says. “It should have been protected.

He is correct. The attack was something that any junior high hacker has tried, and that it hasn't been protected against means there are many, many more vulnerabilities,

They are charging him for telling them they had a flat tire, but as if he drove a bus into the car.

Bullies and ignorance, a hell of a combination.

http://map.norsecorp.com/#/

Here is what he is pointing out - these are real threats, and they don't give a rat's ass about your laws or security, because they don't have to.

[The Second Stone]

6. Illegal access is illegal even if it is easy

and is a felony. You are not allowed under federal (and state) laws to access someone else's computer for any unauthorized purpose.

[jtuck004]

7. So is going to the wrong bathroom in North Carolina. You sure stand with giants.

What he showed is that that data, yours, your neighbors, your candidate, is available to anyone who can read the directions how on a web site.

He opened an unlocked door and told them it was unlocked. These are ignorant bigots doing something to direct attention away from their inability to secure their network against 8th grade student hackers. They are inept and should be fired.

Then again, there is a real estate swindler in new york who would be king, so perhaps they are our future.




They can spend a billion taxpayer dollars, give the guy the death penalty - and all the while that and many other holes are allowing people both here and abroad to walk unmolested through your data.

He should move to a smarter state. It doesn't sound like it would be hard.

Enjoy your self-righteousness. You have nothing else I want to read.

[The Second Stone]

8. That may be a defense, but you've offered a defense to a lot of the hacking that leads to

identify theft. There were no end of companies that used to send "your computer is not safe" messages to people on their computers. Now there are hackers that seize our computer until a ransom is paid. And the ransom is cheap so even governments pay it.

Unauthorized entry has always been trespassing or burglary. It has nothing to do with civil rights.