Case Study 1: The Curious Case of Gary McKinnon

Alleged computer hacker Gary McKinnon of the United Kingdom has publicly admitted to compromising computer systems belonging to NASA and the Department of Defense. Using information from your classroom, additional materials provided by your instructor, and your own independent research, discuss the impact of these widespread intrusions, and comment on McKinnon's self-proclaimed motivations. Describe McKinnon in the context of the frameworks and theories of cyber-crime and cyber criminals discussed in the classroom. Are the efforts to extradite McKinnon to the United States simply a political stunt, or are they an important precedent in prosecuting international cyber-crimes? Finally, share what you know about computer security and best practices to make recommendations to prevent similar incidents in the future. Your submission should be a minimum of four pages in length, and it should conform to APA formatting and citation standards. A title page and reference list (APA style) are mandatory, but they will not count toward the four-page requirement.