[cobalt-users] Re: PortSentry works !

[johnm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Original message :-
>From: "Christian Karlsson" <info@xxxxxxxxx>
>To: <cobalt-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: SV: [cobalt-users] PortSentry works !
>Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 12:40:39 +0100
>Reply-To: cobalt-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>>I've reported this attack to British Telecom (they 'own' the dial-up 
line
>>used to scan the server) and am going to take the eveidence to the 
Police
>>to-day to report an offence under the Computer Misuse Act (the first 
time
>>since both te server ad the attacked are based in the UK).  Lets hope 
that
>>it scares the sh*t out of someone.
>
>Is it really illigel to do a portscan?

I believe that here in the UL it comes under the Computer Misuse Act 1990 
which states something along the lines of :-


Computer Misuse Act 1990
1990 CHAPTER 18
An Act to make provision for securing computer material against 
unauthorised access or modification; and for connected purposes
 
[29th June 1990]
BE IT ENACTED by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the 
advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in 
this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as 
follows:?
 
Computer Misuse Offences
1 Unauthorised access to computer material
(1) A person is guilty of an offence if?
(a) he causes a computer to perform any function with intent to secure 
access to any program or data held in any computer;
(b) the access he intends to secure is unauthorised; and
(c) he knows at the time when he causes the computer to perform the 
function that that is the case.
(2) The intent a person has to have to commit an offence under this 
section need not be directed at?
(a) any particular program or data;
(b) a program or data of any particular kind; or
(c) a program or data held in any particular computer.

As far as I can see this covers hacking since he/she caused the computer 
to perform a function to secure access to data held on the server.

But then again, I'm not in the legal profession - if I was I wouldn't be 
doing this job ;-)

Cheers

John