In the Internet criminal justice system the people are betrayed by two separate, yet equally important groups: the hackers who investigate and exploit security problems and the legal authorities who don't take the offenders seriously. These are their stories.

Of the many discouraging aspects of computer security, one of the worst is that offenders are rarely punished at all, let alone seriously. I have to think another disappointment in this regard is imminent.

I refer to the case of Sven Jaschan, who last year was ratted out for money by a friend. Jaschan had authored the Sasser and Netsky worms, both on the short list for most damaging and long-lasting malware infestations, and both still on the charts as active threats.

The news stories give the unmistakable whiff of "community service": Little Svenny was a minor when some of the offenses were committed, the maximum sentence is five years, he confessed, and it's presumably his first offense.

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