I think the real problem is that most of the hacking that goes on in the US does not originate from the US. It's really hard for the US government to deter or prosecute hacking in other countries. Most of the hacking I have seen lately has originated in the former Soviet Union. By some Soviets, hacking is even encouraged ( http://www.infowar.com/hacker/99/hack_122199a_j.sh tml ). I recently read somewhere that the US government has actually come out and tried to recruit hackers in the US, saying that they can't pay as much as hacking can provide, but that they have some really neat equipment. Egghead bears some responsibility, but I don't think they can be held totally responsible. New exploits are found all the time and it's kind of hard to release a patch to prevent an exploit, unless you know it exists. GroundZero