Intel 'hacker' sentence expunged
By Tom Espiner, ZDNet UK
05 March 2007 10:02 AM
A former Intel contractor has seen his conviction for hacking into the company's systems expunged, after a battle lasting more than a decade.
Randal L. Schwartz had his arrest and conviction for bypassing Intel security systems "set aside" at the beginning of February, legally giving him a clean slate.
Schwartz was arrested in 1993 after using a program called "Crack" to find out the passwords of various former colleagues in the Intel Supercomputer Systems Division (SSD). Schwartz had left SSD under a cloud, and told the court he decided to crack the Intel passwords to show that SSD's security had gone downhill since he had left, and to reestablish respect he said he had lost when he left SSD.
In late 1995, Schwartz was convicted of three counts of computer crime and ordered to pay Intel US$68,000 restitution. His sentence also included five years of probation, 480 hours of community service and 90 days of deferred jail time. His legal bill exceeded US$170,000 by the end of 1995.
Schwartz has argued that his conviction was unfair, as he had not intended to cause any malicious damage. After an appeal, the restitution was dropped in 1999.
In October 2006, Schwartz appealed for clemency from a Democratic governor who "had already granted a few pardons," Schwartz explained on the Yahoo Tech Groups site. At the beginning of February 2007, an Oregon court ordered an expungement of his conviction.
Schwartz said that it will take a while for him to absorb the result.
"Even a few weeks later, I'm still in a bit of shock that I've reached this point in this over-13-year journey," Schwartz said. "It probably won't fully sink in until the first time I travel freely into Canada, or fill out a contractor form that asks the question about criminal history, or apply for a Small Business Administration program that was formerly unavailable to me."
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A former contractor of Intel, who was convicted more than a decade ago for bypassing the security systems of the semiconductor company in 1993, is now free from charge. 

The hacker used a special program, named "Crack", that was able to detect the passwords of his former colleagues. He worked at Intel Supercomputer Systems Division and afterwards he suspiciously left the company. 

When Randal L. Schwartz was accused, the court sentenced him to pay Intel a restitution, estimated at US$68,000. Then the hacker was imposed to spend five years of probation and 480 hours of community service. In addition, the court sentenced Schwartz to 90 days of deferred jail time. All in all, the legal bills of the former Intel contractor exceeded US$170,000.

Randal Schwartz told the court that the reason he used "Crack" is that he wanted to show the disadvantages of Intel's security system, especially when he left the company. He also mentioned about reestablishment of his respect, which, according to Schwartz, was lost. 

After more than a decade, he appealed to a Democratic governor. In February 2007 a court in Oregon expunged his conviction. Schwartz stated that it will take some time for him to absorb the result. The 13-year journey still keeps him in shock.