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Teen hackers who live streamed cyber-attack on TfL jailed(bbc.com)
25 points by neversaydie 2 hours ago | 15 comments
kayo_20211030 a minute ago | parent | next [-]

When I see this it makes me depressed.

> gained access to the data by tricking a phone help desk worker.

The whole edifice was built on a helpful, possibly overworked and possibly harassed help desk worker? The end result is that two kids end up in jail. It could have been so different, and better. What they did was wrong for sure, and has real-world consequences for those whose information was leaked. But, when I look at the contingencies that led to the outcome, it really does depress me.

"all for the want of a nail"

jonathanlydall 22 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Remembering back, I certainly lacked a lot of critical reasoning which could have led me to do possibly equally stupid stuff like this had I the skill in my early teens. As I remember it, life felt more like a "game" in that you do whatever it lets you, without much consideration of whether people will be (potentially very) upset with what you've done. In person activities stood high risk of getting caught, but online it seems more like a computer game and the people on the other side of your actions feel more abstract.

Many years back when I used to do CS for WoW, a colleague of mine liked to say that the only reason some kids shit-talk the way they do is because it's online and if they tried it in person they'd get punched in the face.

These kids discovered that their actions have consequences to them in person and not just someone being upset with them remotely.

As a parent now (but oldest is only 5), it's stories like this which make me determined remain aware of the kind of stuff my kids get up to and continually explain that actions have consequences, even if those consequences are seemingly as trivial as making someone else feel shit about themselves.

I wonder if maybe 10 or so years from now, after these kids have actually reached decent emotional maturity, that they'll look back at their actions and think about how stupidly reckless and needlessly destructive they were, to both others and their own lives.

Kichererbsen 12 minutes ago | parent | next [-]

I have found that keeping dialog open from early age on helps a lot. If kids get into trouble when they do something they're not allowed to, they're going to learn to stop telling you stuff real quick. And hide their activities. If they learn that you'll stay calm and continually prove that you trust them to handle their stuff, they might end up telling you things you wouldn't expect. But then... you don't get to blow your lid. Ever.

Aurornis 12 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

From the arrival:

> Jubair has 22 previous convictions related to hacking, fraud and harassment.

There’s more to what was going on here and none of us is really qualified to diagnose the psychology behind it from the details. I hope they can find some peace later in life because they are obviously not lacking ambition or ability

folkrav 6 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Behavior being different online than in real life is not limited to kids either. Nobody on Facebook is meaner than a 60-something year old lady with a wall full of cat pictures and minion memes. I genuinely doubt that half of them would hold the same discourse face to face.

jfyi 12 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

10 years and they'll be mid way into their conference talk career. You know, that sweet spot where you can keep telling the same story over and over and still get attention for it. That makes me wonder what Frank Abagnale has been up to recently.

inigyou 13 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Now I have the opposite feeling. I know that if I ever do something useful that people like, I'll go to jail for it. I don't know how startup founders do it, I guess they need legal backing from an incubator.

williamdclt 11 minutes ago | parent | next [-]

I don't understand what you mean, can you explain?

cindyllm 11 minutes ago | parent | prev [-]

[dead]

grim_io 15 minutes ago | parent | prev [-]

With their skills and nowhere to go, they will be doing this for the government.

smallnix 14 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> The court heard the single child was given his first laptop at the age of 10 by his parents - carers who moved to London from Bangladesh.

Ah.. I hate when stereotypes play out like this. It's always those single children.

d-lowl 14 minutes ago | parent | prev [-]

>Jubair and Flowers who both have autism, gained access to the data by tricking a phone help desk worker.

What does this have to do with anything in this article.

Aurornis 10 minutes ago | parent | next [-]

The article is reporting on what was discussed in court: Autism, suicidal tendencies, living with grandparents. These were all probably brought up as elements of the story meant to influence the verdict.

Take it up with lawyers.

inigyou 13 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Helps spread memes the BBC wants you to believe. Namely, autistic people bad. See, this is why I think the BBC needs to go.

voidUpdate 13 minutes ago | parent | prev [-]

Autism always makes your kids into sociopathic hackers, as we all know. They are also always top of their class in maths and bad at interacting with people

/s