Sometimes I think we forget that computer crimes - are real crimes. When I first read that the Lowe's wifi hacker got 9 years in federal prison - my mouth fell open. But it just shows, that the government and businesses no longer view such antics as petty theft.

A 21-year-old Michigan man was sentenced to nine years in federal prison Wednesday in federal court in Charlotte, North Carolina for his role in a failed scheme to steal credit card numbers from the Lowe's chain of home improvement stores by taking advantage of an unsecured wi-fi network at a store in suburban Detroit.

posted by mt at 13:07

My friend Scott Granneman has a new column at Security Focus regarding online extortion. One of those ideas about which you think - that would never work! Unfortunately it is working, very well for ciminals.

Online extortion is quietly affecting thousands of businesses, for a very simple reason: it works. The big question then becomes, how will you and your company decide to respond?

posted by mt at 11:46