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DemographicsThe wide variety of people who identify themselves as hackers makes it is difficult or even dangerous to assume that all hackers fit some specific profile. However, there are demographics of hackers which warrant specific consideration, due to the difficulties which they bring to the process of identification, capture, and conviction of these attackers . AgeThe usual hacker starts when he is a minor and is no longer dedicated to hacking by the time he is thirty. Many hackers are minors and are not held to the same level of responsibility as adults. The criminal justice system in the U.S. and other countries makes a clear distinction between adults and minors. There are separate courts, separate detention centers, and separate views of how the laws should be applied and the punishment implemented. Punishment for juveniles, even if convicted, is often little more than a slap on the wrist.
SympatheticComputer crime, like other white- collar crime, is not violent. It generally does not cause bodily injury . It is often difficult to explain the crime to a jury. The theft of information does not deny the victim the information; it is a copy which is stolen. Some people have sympathy for hackers who have been caught. Many people are enamored of hackers. Much like Robin Hood, who committed crimes against the rich and became a hero of the poor, the victims of computer crimes are generally big businesses. Some people believe that it is acceptable to steal information from companies if their systems are not secure enough to keep them out. This makes it difficult to enlist a sympathetic jury. In computer crime cases, the defense will capitalize on the David and Goliath syndrome. They will paint the hacker as the little guy and the company as evil. This is true throughout the world.
LocationThe global environment of the Internet makes it possible to access systems anywhere in the world. This also allows hackers to attack systems from anywhere in the world. There are no political boundaries on the Internet. There are no border checkpoints or customs inspectors. Tracking attacks across a world-wide network is a difficult task, especially when the hacker is trying to obscure his tracks. This problem is compounded when there is a need for search warrants or other participation from investigative organizations. Inconsistencies in international laws make what is legal in one place illegal in another. This makes it difficult to get support for investigating someone for committing an offense which is legal in the location where he is. However, sometimes agencies in different countries do work together.
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