Hacker Sentenced to 41 Months for AT&T/iPad hack

A federal judge has sentenced Andrew Auernheimer to 41 months in prison. Auernheimer exploited a security flaw in AT&T's iPad registration scheme in order to download contact information for thousands of iPad users. In addition to prison time, Auernheimer  will be subject to three years of supervised release has been ordered (along with a co-defendent) to pay AT&T $73,000.

I admit that I have been surprised by the amount of mainstream press this sentencing has gotten. One one side, Auernheimer is portrayed (accurately) as a unrepentant hacker who is milking his 15 minutes of fame. On the other, folks are questioning both the interpretation of the relevant law (The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986) as well as the appropriateness of the sentence handed down -- especially in light of the recent sentencing of two Ohio teens in a highly-publicized rape case.

You can read a quick summary of the Auernheimer case here.