Many see hacking 'as not major crime'

2009-08-06

Many people do not see hacking as a major crime even though cybercriminals are committing a serious offence when they carry out an IT intrusion and steal information, it has been claimed.

People do not view hacking as a conventional crime and because it is carried out through a computer that it does not really have any gravity as an offence, said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos.

"The ones who are in it for the cash are the ones who cause the most serious problems. Those are the guys that IT professionals are trying to fight off all the time," Mr Cluley asserted.

These are the kinds of cybercriminals that need to be caught and placed in an institution, he added.

His comments come after a poll from Sophos showed that seven out of ten IT professionals believe NASA hacker Gary McKinnon should not be extradited to the US.

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