Live data from Hacker News

Lapsus$: GTA 6 hacker handed indefinite hospital order

bbc.co.uk

231–240 of 361 posts

Re: Lapsus$: GTA 6 hacker handed indefinite hospital order

#231

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> That's quite a feat. Is it? I don't see what the big deal is in installing a chrooted Linux environment (or SSH/RDP client to remote into an external machine) in an Android device? The fact this is even mentioned really smells like they're trying to make this guy sound more skilled and evil than he really is, potentially also to cover up for the fact that the police made an oversight in letting him be around intern…

This is a really great angle and perspective to add in - I agree a noted habit / trend / short-hand in “severity” sometimes with technical subjects. I read through and also have heard some similar routine prep stories. Unusual? Absolutely! Then again, it’s also unusual for a Dodge dealership in North Texas to have 7 Hellcat vehicles stolen in one night, but here we are. So, I pick up that maybe the tech stack isn’t t…

> Add that in with, reportedly a physical violence time in life

Throwing an autistic person into prison will do that. The child abuse that autistic people often receive in their childhood will do that

> the persistent threat maybe can heal out of it?

Or maybe just give them a job instead of throwing them in a padded cell for life?

Re: Lapsus$: GTA 6 hacker handed indefinite hospital order

#232

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ok. Ignore the dollar amount. His actions have physically injured people, destroyed property, and caused hundreds or thousands of people to spend otherwise productive time on fixing things. This wasn’t some hacker poking around because he could. He was stealing assets and then trying to ransom them back. He also just straight up stole crypto.

OK, then prosecute him for those things. Theft and blackmail are already crimes. Don't give him a life sentence for sharing secrets. Don't ask me to pretend that isn't what this is about.

Kurtaj has been charged with three counts of blackmail, two counts of fraud, and six breaches of the Computer Misuse Act.

You keep saying that he was given a life sentence. He has not. He has been ordered to live in a hospital until he is deemed by a professional to no longer be a danger to himself.

Re: Lapsus$: GTA 6 hacker handed indefinite hospital order

#233

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> this kid is incredibly destructive Incredibly? There are many kids that age who murder and commit other serious felonies.

Hundreds of thousands of man hours have been spent at the companies he hacked and in the justice system on his behalf. If you were the one whose crypto account he cleared out, or one of the people responsible for cleaning up after him, or even one of the lawyers trying to defend some idiot who tells the court he plans on committing more crimes as soon as he is released you might feel different. Do you think any of th…

First,

> some idiot

He's a kid with a very serious mental illness. Perhaps we don't need to sink to these insults.

On the scale of things, what you describe is not "incredibly destructive". Many, many people have done worse (many legally). It's a crime (I never said otherwise) but not a big deal relative to very many other crimes - Rockstar didn't face any material danger; the justice system has lots and lots of cases going through it. I'd be more concerned if he was committing serious violent felonies.

> you might feel different

I'm pretty confident I'd feel exactly the same.

> Hundreds of thousands of man hours

What is that based on?

> international conspiracy

All the hyperbole undermines your point, imho.

Re: Lapsus$: GTA 6 hacker handed indefinite hospital order

#234
post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, not life in prison. Detention in a psychiatric hospital for an autistic person who is violently attacking other people. > dozens of reports of injury or property damage

"indefinite detention" as well, meaning the duration is not defined, but it's "infinite detention". However, the article was definitely updated at some point, as others in the thread have pointed out. I read it earlier today and it did state life in detention. That is certainly not helping the discussion out, unfortunately.

The detention is of indefinite length, but has clear conditions for his release, which is what a lot of people seem to be missing.

Re: Lapsus$: GTA 6 hacker handed indefinite hospital order

#235
post #221

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Getting in is getting in. Social engineering is like 90% of hacking.

That’s correct, but it’s not a “monumental waste of talent”

Can you break into Rockstar while in police custody using a fire stick? Didn’t think so.

Re: Lapsus$: GTA 6 hacker handed indefinite hospital order

#236

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> dozens of reports of injury or property damage. Eh, this is not outside the realm of expectations for an autistic teenager. Anyone locked in a cage will lash out, especially if they have neurological issues. There is a way to harness this energy regardless.

> not outside the realm of expectations for an autistic teenager That's very dismissive of people with ASD. There are plenty of people with ASD all over the spectrum, but most of them aren't violent. That in itself is enough of a reason for Kurtaj to be in medical holding, especially given his track record for stalking and harassing women.

[flagged]

Re: Lapsus$: GTA 6 hacker handed indefinite hospital order

#237
post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

shouldn't they at least try to use this kid for good instead of locking him up ? but then who know maybe a 3 letter gov agency will take him to a bunker somewhere

"Use" implies control / coercion, given that this guy doesn't seem to respect authority, that's not going to work. You can't make anyone work for you or "do good".

Conversely, it seems pretty easy to pay people to do bad things.

Re: Lapsus$: GTA 6 hacker handed indefinite hospital order

#238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> So he's confined for life. > unless doctors deem him no longer a danger It's down to him and whether the institution he's in can do anything for him.

> It's down to him No, it's up to the doctors. If he changes nothing and docs say "we think he's no threat now," he could be freed. If he completely reforms and appears harmless and the docs don't give him the thumbs-up, he stays locked up for life.

Yep, this is my issue with it. Also, it’s autism for now. What if it slowly spreads to other diagnoses? It could slowly lead to a more authoritarian punishment environment. Things like this can grow slowly but 50 years down the line and voila: a new repressive state is born.

Obviously, that doesn’t need to happen. The fact that it could scares me

Re: Lapsus$: GTA 6 hacker handed indefinite hospital order

#239
post #180

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is an 18 year old kid.

We were all 18 year olds, but we (hopefully) never stalked and harassed women, as is noted in TFA. And don't use autism as an excuse - my mother teaches autistic teenagers and none of them have committed amoral stuff such as violence and harassment. Also, an 18 year old is an adult.

Only just an adult. A few years, the hormones might calm down and, well, if we gave up on all 18 year old adults there wouldn't be too many of us left.

Don't judge the future, create the future.

Re: Lapsus$: GTA 6 hacker handed indefinite hospital order

#240

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> not outside the realm of expectations for an autistic teenager That's very dismissive of people with ASD. There are plenty of people with ASD all over the spectrum, but most of them aren't violent. That in itself is enough of a reason for Kurtaj to be in medical holding, especially given his track record for stalking and harassing women.

[flagged]

The guy harassed and stalked women and has attacked staff. This is literally stated in the article.

Being neurodiverse doesn't mean you get a free pass on sexual harassment or violent behavior.

Plenty of neurodiverse people don't harass women or violently attack people.

Post reply on HN