Okay... so I admit I'm no fan of Palin... But as a soon-to-be newly minted CISSP, people like Kernell make me sick.
However, when I see a 20 year sentence for his crime, vice 150 years for Madoff who stole tens of thousands of people's retirement, not put their information in the wind where there was potential of having money stolen... I can't help but think:
1. There is seriously something wrong with the way these crimes are sentenced - there needs to be either a specialized court system for computer-centered crimes which legal stuff who TRULY understand these issues, or a serious education program for lawmakers and the judicial and law enforcement communities that deal with these laws and issues.
2. There needs to be more creativity in the sentencing process. Kernell is a criminal, make no mistake. Obviously he is very far from a mastermind, and most of these convicted hackers are script kiddies, the cyberwar equivalent of cannon fodder. I just wonder what is gained by putting this dummy away for 20 years. I think we'd be better served by making him notorius for what he's done wrong and using him as a public example - i.e. banned from working in the computing field, long-term house arrest, etc (whose food and shelter we dont have to pay for).