College Police Think Using Linux Is Suspicious Behavior

[Bob Hubbard]

College Police Think Using Linux Is Suspicious Behavior on Tuesday April 14, @03:42PM


Posted by CmdrTaco Tuesday April 14, @03:42PM
from the so-is-your-mom dept.
FutureDomain writes "The Boston College Campus Police have seized the electronics of a computer science student for allegedly sending an email outing another student. The probable cause? The search warrant application states that he is 'a computer science major' and he uses 'two different operating systems for hiding his illegal activity. One is the regular B.C. operating system and the other is a black screen with white font which he uses prompt commands on.' The EFF is currently representing him."
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[arnisador]

Sheesh. That could happen where I work too..

 

[Archangel M]

The thing people have to realize about search warrant applications is that the officer will put in every bit of info he can to support his reasoning for the items he wants to search or size. In reality the only argument he has to make is that he has reason to believe that the crime was committed with an electronic device and that he wants to seize any device that the suspect could have reasonably used to send it before he destroys any evidence. I read the application as stating that the suspect is adept at concealing electronic evidence therefore the cop wants to take more electronic devices to search for evidence. This is how warrants go.

The "cops think using Linux is suspicious behavior" stuff is hype the defense, the media and the EFF love to twist this stuff into. If there was PC to take the stuff in the first place the cops would have taken it. Since there wasn't, a warrant was applied for, the judge believed there was cause to seize the items and they were seized.

 

[Cryozombie]

The "cops think using Linux is suspicious behavior" stuff is hype the defense, the media and the EFF love to twist this stuff into. If there was PC to take the stuff in the first place the cops would have taken it. Since there wasn't, a warrant was applied for, the judge believed there was cause to seize the items and they were seized.

While I agree this could be the case, if Judges are as smart about PCs as Doctors, Im sure careful wording could easily trick them into issuing whatever warrant someone wants by playing on their ignorance.

We all know Its pretty easy to word something and have it appear more sinister than it is... I have a family member who was arrested on the grounds that he had an "incendiary device on his person" and was later released when they discovered that was carefully disguised wording for Zippo lighter.

Further I could, for example, easily describe you Arc as someone who constantly appears in public wearing concealed armor with a firearm on his person, known to carry a chemical weapon agent and restraints designed to render a person helpless, and it might raise some alarms if the context of you being a police officer is left out, the same way stating a student had "a black screen with white font which he uses prompt commands on." without putting that into the context that this is in fact a normal operating system used by THOUSANDS of people and corporations on any given day. Its intentionally made to sound more sinister to garner support from a judge. IMO its deceptive at best.

 

[Archangel M]

Well..the cop obviously wants the warrant and will naturally phrase the application so that he has a good chance of getting it. He only gets it if the judge agrees. Deceptive in your opinion or not, as long as its FACTUAL, it's legitimate. That's why warrants go before a judge. DECEPTIVE also assumes that the cop is knowledgeable of LINUX and knowingly is "stretching" the point. He could really believe that this is some sort of special technique to hide data.

I could be wrong (if there is more to that application that I haven seen), but I doubt that the warrant would be overturned. I dont think that the LINUX portion was a "make or break" portion of the decision. It has just become the juiciest part for the media. Simply stating that the incriminating evidence could be on a list of possible devices in his possession would probably have been sufficient.

If you are offended by THIS, try listening to attorneys. Defense or prosecution...

 

[Deaf Smith]

And what would the cops know about Linux? I've installed it before on laptops. I even gave a demo to staff on Linux. Cops? They don't even shoot good.

Deaf

 

[Cryozombie]

If you are offended by THIS, try listening to attorneys. Defense or prosecution...

Oh believe me, I know... its a whole other thing, don't get me started, lol.

 

[RandomPhantom700]

And what would the cops know about Linux? I've installed it before on laptops. I even gave a demo to staff on Linux. Cops? They don't even shoot good.

Deaf

Calling all LEOs ignorant is a surefire way to have every and anything else you say on here ignored.

As for deceptive wording, hell, I think this thread was titled deceptively. From the thread title I thought having and using Linux was the alleged crime, not the alleged way the suspect was hiding his activities. I don't usually agree with Archangel, but in this case...

 

[Archangel M]

It could also be a way of dumbing down: "the suspect runs multiple operating systems, windows and LINUX. I have reason to believe he may be using LINUX to conceal the said e-mail because it is not as common as windows and fewer people would be able to access it. Furthermore a witness has observed the suspect using a LINUX based laptop, upon which he had access and ability to send said evidence. Therefore I would like to seize any computers running LINUX that the subject possesses."

The cop could be worried that the Judge has no clue what the differences between Windows and LINUX are so he phrased it the way he did.

I don't really see anything sinister here.

 

[Archangel M]

I don't usually agree with Archangel, but in this case...

The blind squirrel theory huh?

 

[Carol]

The BC student isn't coming under fire for using LINUX.

He's coming under fire because of allegations of fixing grades, software piracy, cell phone network hacking and toying with equipment for other students so they can do similar things.

 

[MA-Caver]

Calling all LEOs ignorant is a surefire way to have every and anything else you say on here ignored.

Agreed, I'd like you to walk up to jks or Drac and call them ignorant.

While true there are SOME ... wait, change that... a FEW cops that are relatively ignorant... quite a few and I'll add that every LEO I've ever met, encountered, interacted with gave me the impression that they were a helluva lot smarter than I was. I'll give an LEO the benefit of the doubt that whatever bs story I might try to pass on them isn't going to fly.

On topic ... I think this is something that should be guarded against or watched for in the future.

 

[Omar B]

Guess I should hide for being a Linux user too. Mepis all the way!

 

[Rich Parsons]

Sheesh. That could happen where I work too..

Hmmm we have some old lap tops with:

Windows 3.1
Windows 95
Windows 98
Windows NT
Windows ...

We have them at certain configurations to support tool sets for vehicles built in the past. We have to be able to at any time not only reproduce from scratch the production versions, we have to be able to debug complaints from the field.

We also use them to remote login and run Unix commands. We also have the occasional box running Linux as well.
I went through customs once with a Laptop for Unix and one with a windows version. I had more trouble explaining why I needed two laptops to accomplish my job.

I have a nephew who was giving out open source Linux on a CD and he got sent to the office and all of the confiscated. I thought there was an article on that here as well.


I guess some people just prefer to not know and be ignorant so they can just blunder through.

 

[Omar B]

Or you get the "why don't you just use windows?" thing from people. If I wanted to use a buggy, system hog of an OS I would use Windows. I like my computer to work, Linux it is.

 

[5-0 Kenpo]

One other thing is that warrants must describe the thing to be seized or searched in detail.

It is not good enough to say that you want to search 1313 Mockingbird Lane. You must say "particularly described as a single family residence of white stucco walls, and several spires. The roof is made of slate tile"...etc.

It is so that any officer, not just the detective requesting the warrant, could serve the warrant and be able to percieve exactly the thing or place to be seized or searched.

So, even if he would have said LINUX operating system, he still may have felt inclined to write what it looks like so that an officer not knowing what LINUX looks like on this person's computer would be able to pick out his specific computer.

 

[Cryozombie]

Or you get the "why don't you just use windows?" thing from people. If I wanted to use a buggy, system hog of an OS I would use Windows. I like my computer to work, Linux it is.

You just hate Windows cuz its program code is FAT.



But seriously the only reason I DON'T run more Linux boxes is I like my commercial software.