Home Secretary rules UK hacker will be extradited

Gary McKinnon, the North London hacker accused of 'the biggest military hack of all time' is to be extradited to face trial in the US.

McKinnon, 40, potentially faces 70 years in prison if found guilty of sabotaging US defence systems.

The final decision to approve his extradition was left to the Home Secretary, John Reid, after a hearing at Bow Street magistrates court. McKinnon now has 14 days to appeal the decision.

Lawyers defending McKinnon say he might have to face a military tribunal and potential internment at Guantanamo Bay.

'I am very worried and feeling very let down by my government,' McKinnon said last night.

A spokesman for the Home Office said: 'Mr McKinnon had exercised his right to submit representations against return but the Secretary of State did not consider the issues raised availed Mr McKinnon.'

It is alleged Mr McKinnon, using the codename Solo, hacked into 97 computers belonging to the Pentagon, US army, air force and NASA from his girlfriend's flat in Wood Green, North London.

During a period of 18 months, McKinnon is said to have caused £370,000 worth of damage to US government machines, but claims the damage was not intentional and that he was just looking for evidence of UFOs.

McKinnon considered his hacking a 'game' and claims he left multiple notes on the desktops of US officials to alert them to the security threat.

'My intention was not to disrupt security. The fact that I logged on and there were no passwords means there was no security,' said McKinnon.

What do you think? Email us at: feedback@computing.co.uk