In this discussion there are some things to consider. From what I remember, one of the crackers who was caught by Cliff Stoll in his cyber-sting, as covered in the book "The Cuckoos Egg," turned up dead under suspicious circumstances. Recently China sentenced some crackers to death for embezzlement. Needless to say, the evidence of the real world shows that the consequences of cracking can be serious.

Any cracker who is successful in disrupting a nation's IT infrastructure in a big way can become a target for reprisals. The same can be said for the location where the cracker's computer equipment is situated. Both can become subject to retaliation. Between nations often the only law is that of the jungle. In this world there are plenty of people who play it rough, and play it for keeps.