64% say it is not acceptable to hack a PC, even if you think its owner might be involved in child abuse

An online poll* of 233 computer users, undertaken by IT security and control firm Sophos, shows that the majority of people surveyed disagree that it is acceptable to infect and hack into a PC if it is believed it may belong to a child abuser.

The poll followed last week’s news that 66-year-old American judge, Ronald C Kline, has been convicted for possessing child pornography on the basis of evidence obtained by a hacker.

The survey reveals that 64 percent of computer users do not believe it is ever right to illegally infect or hack into a PC, even if its owner is suspected to be a child abuser.

“Having a ‘hunch’ that someone might be involved in child abuse isn’t a justifiable reason to infect and hack into their PC - that’s what most people we surveyed have told us loud and clear,” said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos. “Two wrongs don’t make a right, and hackers should not take the law into their own hands. Instead of acting alone, anyone with a strong reason or evidence to suspect someone of illegal activity should notify the authorities immediately and let the investigation run its proper course.”
Survey results
Is it okay to illegally infect and hack into a PC if you think it might belong to a child abuser?

* Source: Sophos online poll, 233 respondents, February 2007.

In 1999, Canadian hacker Brad Willman planted a Trojan horse, disguised as images of child abuse, on an internet newsgroup visited by pedophiles. The hacker (who used the handle Omni-Potent) broke into the PCs of those he infected, focusing on those he suspected of being involved in child abuse. One of the PCs targeted by Willman belonged to Kline, a former Californian judge.

“Not only is vigilante hacking illegal, it can seriously compromise a police investigation. For instance, suspects could argue that as they have been hacked it could have been the hacker who actually placed the illegal material on their PC,” continued Cluley. “Authorities investigating potential suspects may even fall victim to cyberattacks themselves as they download evidence from sites such as the one targeted by Willman.”