Re: Need to stop an attack

In article <gredncDakuWgd3XfRVn-vg@giganews.com>,
Frankster <Frank@SPAM2TRASH.com> wrote:
:In addition to what others have said, I would think that to be taken
:seriously at all, by any law enforcement agency and/or DA, you would have to
:be able to offer proof of financial loss and substantiate the amount.
:Otherwise it is simply an annoyance. The monetary amount of loss (theft?)
:would determine the potential for success in the legal system. Without the
:monetary numbers, you have no case, IMHO.

In the absence of threats of personal harm, you are correct, at least
in the USA and Canada. Our federal police force have indicated to us
that they won't even start an investigation into computer attacks
unless the provable monetary damages are well into 5-figure dollar
ranges -- and they exclude clean-up costs. I don't know if they exclude
"loss of income" (e.g., when your web store cannot make sales.)

There may be exceptions, such as if there is attempted blackmail,
or there is a risk to human safety (e.g., medical control computers
or train signal controls). Also, in the USA, you *might* be able
to provoke action by citing copyright infringement: the US
Digital Millenium Copyright Act criminalizes nearly all copyright
infringement and effectively presumes that nearly all copyright
infringement is Big Bucks Theft.

-- 
Ceci, ce n'est pas une idée.