Pentagon hacker freed on bail
amigo: The original article on McKinnon's hearing is here .
A Briton wanted in the United States for what U.S. authorities call the largest successful hacking effort against American military networks in history was freed on bail Wednesday following a court appearance.
The court heard allegations that Gary McKinnon, 39, illegally accessed 97 U.S. government computers between February 2001 and March 2002, causing a total of US$700,000 in damages.
Lawyers for McKinnon, who was first arrested in the case three years ago, said he would vigorously resist extradition.
McKinnon's solicitor Karen Todner confirmed a published report that McKinnon was motivated by a desire to expose the ease with which a civilian could breach government computer systems, and by a strong conviction that the U.S. government was concealing evidence of UFOs.
Janet Boston, acting for the U.S. government, told Bow Street Magistrates' Court that McKinnon installed unauthorized software on computers in the U.S. Army, Navy, NASA, Department of Defense and Air Force that permitted him to "completely control the computers."
