Alleged KPU hacker gets web support<\/p>\n
Evi Mariani, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A simple \"Free Dani Movement\" message greets the visitors to the
\nnewly created website www.kecoak.or.id.<\/p>\n
The website (its name means cockroach) created by members of
\nthe cyber community, is the forum for Internet users to vote on
\nwhether to free alleged hacker Dani Firmansyah.<\/p>\n
Dani, 25, has been detained at the Jakarta Police Headquarters
\nsince April 22 charged with illegally entering and defacing the
\nGeneral Elections Commission (KPU) website on April 17.<\/p>\n
The work of the final-year student at the School of
\nInternational Relations of the University of Muhammadiyah in
\nYogyakarta made headlines after he changed the names of political
\nparties on the site into silly ones, including the \"Green
\nUnderwear Party\", \"Bottled Water Party\" and the \"Please Don't Be
\nAngry Party\".<\/p>\n
In his statements to police, Dani said he was only trying to
\ntest the security of the Rp 152 billion (US$17.8 million) state-
\nof-the-art KPU website and its data center.<\/p>\n
Dani, who nicknamed himself \"schizophrenic\" or \"xnuxer\", was
\nknown on the web as a frequent writer of articles and e-mails on
\ninformation technology security.<\/p>\n
In one of his e-mails to an IT mailing list on April 22 a few
\nhours before the arrest, he said the KPU should have hired an
\nindependent IT team to improve its security system, which he said
\nwas frail.<\/p>\n
Writing as an observer, Dani defended the hacker of KPU
\nwebsite, then already on the police's wanted list, saying: \"I
\nbelieve the hacker was only trying to warn the KPU. Actually, the
\nKPU should thank the hacker for showing them the website was
\nvulnerable.\"<\/p>\n
Many Internet users seemed to agree with Dani.<\/p>\n
As of Monday evening, the website had 1013 votes, 854 of them,
\nor 84 percent, of the votes said \"Yes\" to Dani's release, while
\nthe remaining 160 disagreed.<\/p>\n
Members of the hacking community over recent weeks have also
\ndefaced other websites, creating banner messages urging Dani's
\nrelease.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the police say they are determined to bring the
\ncase to court.<\/p>\n
Dani's prosecution is likely to become a test-case for the
\npolice and legal authorities. It will demonstrate how technology
\nliterate they are and the effectiveness of new laws on
\ncybercrime.<\/p>\n
Top police officers, while saying they were impressed by
\nDani's work, have vowed to proceed with the case, no matter how
\ndifficult it could be.<\/p>\n
IT and legal experts have said police are likely to face
\nhurdles prosecuting the case as most of the evidence is digital.<\/p>\n
Dani is facing a maximum six years in prison for violating
\nArticle 22 of Law. No. 39\/1999 on telecommunications that
\nprosecutes individuals who are alleged to have manipulated a
\ntelecommunications network or service.<\/p>\n
Information and Communication Technology Watch (ICTWatch)
\nlegal analyst Rapin Mudiardjo told The Jakarta Post there was a
\nlegal option available allowing the state to punish Dani with
\nother than an imprisonment or fine.<\/p>\n
\"Our legal system recognizes the exemption of punishment due
\nto particular circumstances -- if the convicted person is
\nunderage or suffering from mental illness. It allows a judge to
\ngive a verdict not based on the letter of the law but on a sense
\nof social justice,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"In this case, the judge could rule that Dani's unique ability
\nwould benefit society more if he was required to work without pay
\nfor, say, the Jakarta Police, rather than being put in jail,\"
\nRapin said.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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