31 ژوئيه, 2008 - Published 11:04 GMT

UK hacker could face prison in the US

The US government says Gary McKinnon committed a malicious crime, the biggest military computer hack of all time. He says he's just a bumbling computer nerd.

Washington began extradition proceedings against him three years ago. It says he hacked into 97 US military and NASA computers in 2001 and 2002 with the intention of intimidating the US government. Prosecutors say he altered and deleted files at a Naval Air Station not long after the September 11th attacks in 2001, rendering critical systems inoperable.

Mr McKinnon has admitted that he accessed computers in the United States without the authority to do so but he says his motives were harmless and innocent and he denies any attempts at sabotage. He says he just wanted to find evidence of Unidentified Flying Objects, or UFOs, that he believed was being held by the US authorities.

Two years ago the High Court in London upheld a request by the US government for his extradition. If the law lords agree with that decision he will be sent to America to stand trial.

Nick Miles, BBC

malicious
بدخواه، مغرض، بداندیشانه، مغرضانه

computer hack
به طور غیرقانونی وارد سیستم کامپیوتر شخص دیگری شدن، هک کردن

a bumbling computer nerd
شخصی که علاقه بیش از حدی به کامپیوتر دارد ولی مهارت کافی برای استفاده از آن را ندارد

began extradition proceedings
اقامه دعوا برای استرداد را شروع کرد، مراحل قانونی برای استرداد را شروع کرد

with the intention of intimidating
با هدف مرعوب کردن

altered
تغییر داد، عوض کرد

rendering critical systems inoperable
سبب شد سیستم های بسیار مهم و حیاتی (کامپیوتری) نتوانند درست کار کنند

his motives were harmless
هدف ها و انگیزه های او بی ضرر بود

denies any attempts at sabotage
هرگونه تلاش برای خرابکاری را تکذیب می کند

upheld
تایید کرد، بر آن صحه گذاشت