Within Remote Tools
In the Gary McKinnon case, RemotelyAnywhere mattered because it allegedly transformed a one-time intrusion into continuing access. The software itself was not malware. It was a legitimate remote administration product designed to let authorised administrators control computers over the internet.
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What RemotelyAnywhere Was Built to Do
RemotelyAnywhere was a commercial remote-management package that allowed administrators to connect to a computer from elsewhere on the internet and perform many of the same tasks available when physically sitting at the machine. According to the indictment, the software could provide remote control, file transfer capabilities, data deletion functions and access to administrative settings. [Department of Justice]justice.govDepartment of Justice IndictmentDepartment of JusticeIndictmentJanuary 24, 2012 — RemotelyAnywhere is a software program that provides a remote access and remote adminis…
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, such products were increasingly common. Organisations wanted ways to manage servers and workstations remotely, especially as internet connectivity expanded. Remote administration software reduced the need for technicians to travel between sites and allowed after-hours maintenance from home.
The problem was that the same capabilities useful to authorised administrators could also be useful to an intruder. If installed secretly on a compromised system, the software could function as a persistent control channel without requiring the attacker to repeat the original intrusion each time. This dual-use nature made products such as RemotelyAnywhere particularly significant in early internet-era security incidents. [cybereason.com]cybereason.comMalicious Life Podcast: The U.Svs. Gary McKinnonChoosing to use RemotelyAnywhere as a means of access was a sneaky move, because it's a software tool not only used by h…
Why Unauthorised Installation Changed the Risk
The key security issue was persistence. Finding a vulnerable machine was only the first step. Maintaining reliable access was often more valuable.
US court and prosecution documents alleged that McKinnon gained administrative privileges on systems and then installed remote administration software. Once present, the software allegedly allowed him to reconnect repeatedly, browse files, alter settings and continue exploring networks without having to rediscover the original weakness each time. Department of Justice+2U.S. Department of War [justice.gov]justice.govDepartment of JusticeLondon, England Hacker Indicted Under Computer Fraud…McKinnon installed a remote administration tool, a number of…
From a defensive perspective, this is the classic “back-door problem”. A back door does not necessarily require specially written malicious code. Any mechanism that allows future unauthorised access can effectively become a back door. The House of Lords summary of the US allegations described RemotelyAnywhere as software that enabled access to and alteration of data on American government computers at any time, while allegedly helping conceal the user’s activities because it appeared to be a legitimate system component. [UK Parliament]publications.parliament.ukmckinn 1UK ParliamentMckinnon V Government of The United States of America…30 Jul 2008 — Having gained access to those accounts he installed u…
This illustrates a broader lesson from early-2000s network security. Organisations often focused on preventing initial entry but paid less attention to detecting legitimate administrative tools installed for illegitimate purposes. A commercial product could blend into normal system administration activity more easily than a notorious hacking utility.
How Investigators Tied Ordinary Software to Serious Access
One reason RemotelyAnywhere became so prominent in the McKinnon case is that investigators alleged it played a direct role in maintaining access after the initial compromise.
A US Department of Justice announcement concerning the Naval Weapons Station Earle allegations stated that McKinnon allegedly installed RemotelyAnywhere on a key computer and other systems connected to the network. Prosecutors further alleged that he later returned through the previously installed software, used stolen credentials, and obtained hundreds of stored passwords from connected servers. They also claimed that the software left the network vulnerable to future unauthorised access. [Department of Justice]justice.govDepartment of Justice British National Charged with Hacking Into N.JIndictment charges that on April 7, 2001, McKinnon hacked into the NWS Earle computer network through the Port Services comp…
The allegations therefore linked three separate stages together:
- Initial access through weak security controls.
- Installation of remote administration software. [justice.gov]justice.govDepartment of Justice IndictmentDepartment of JusticeIndictmentJanuary 24, 2012 — RemotelyAnywhere is a software program that provides a remote access and remote adminis…
- Repeated access and expansion into additional systems.
This sequence was important because it moved the case beyond a single unauthorised login. Prosecutors argued that the software helped create a continuing platform from which further activity could occur across multiple government networks. Department of Justice+2U.S. Department of War [justice.gov]justice.govDepartment of JusticeLondon, England Hacker Indicted Under Computer Fraud…McKinnon installed a remote administration tool, a number of…
Contemporary reporting also noted that choosing a commercial remote-access product may have reduced suspicion compared with using well-known hacking backdoors. Wired reported that investigators believed McKinnon used RemotelyAnywhere rather than more notorious remote-control programs commonly associated with malicious activity, potentially making the software less likely to attract attention from security tools or administrators. [WIRED]wired.comdot mil hackers download mistakeDot-Mil Hacker's Download Mistake15 Nov 2002 — Gary McKinnon, the Briton indicted this week for hacking into scores of U.S. military…
The Critique: A Legitimate Tool That Became Evidence
The RemotelyAnywhere aspect of the McKinnon case highlights an enduring security challenge: the difference between a tool and its use.
Nothing in the product’s design made it inherently criminal. Thousands of organisations used remote administration software for legitimate support and maintenance. Yet prosecutors repeatedly emphasised the alleged installation of RemotelyAnywhere because it illustrated how ordinary software could be repurposed to maintain unauthorised control over government systems. [Department of Justice+2Wikisource]justice.govDepartment of Justice IndictmentDepartment of JusticeIndictmentJanuary 24, 2012 — RemotelyAnywhere is a software program that provides a remote access and remote adminis…
For historians of early-2000s hacking, this is one of the most revealing parts of the case. The story is often remembered through McKinnon’s claims that he was searching for evidence related to UFOs and advanced technology. However, the technical allegations were far less exotic. They centred on weak passwords, administrative privileges, and a commercially available remote-support product that allegedly became a persistent back door once installed without authorisation. [CSO Online+2Reddit]csoonline.comCSO OnlineCourt Allows Extradition of British Hacker to Proceed31 Jul 2009 — While in the U.K., McKinnon has freely admitted to hacking t…
The significance of RemotelyAnywhere therefore lies not in what the software was designed to do, but in how investigators argued it changed the consequences of an initial security failure. A vulnerable machine could be compromised once; a machine with an unauthorised remote administration package installed could potentially remain accessible long afterwards. [Department of Justice+2Wikisource]justice.govDepartment of Justice British National Charged with Hacking Into N.JIndictment charges that on April 7, 2001, McKinnon hacked into the NWS Earle computer network through the Port Services comp…
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Endnotes
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Source: justice.gov
Title: Department of Justice Indictment
Link: https://www.justice.gov/archive/usao/nj/Press/files/pdffiles/Older/edva_mckinnon_indictment.pdfSource snippet
Department of JusticeIndictmentJanuary 24, 2012 — RemotelyAnywhere is a software program that provides a remote access and remote adminis...
Published: January 24, 2012
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Source: en.wikisource.org
Title: US v Gary [Mc Kinnon]({{ ‘mc-kinnon/’ | relative_url }}) Indictment
Link: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/US_v_Gary_McKinnon_IndictmentSource snippet
v Gary McKinnon Indictment27 Feb 2021 — Once installed on a host computer, RemotelyAnywhere allows the user to remotely control the host...
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Source: justice.gov
Link: https://www.justice.gov/archive/criminal/cybercrime/press-releases/2002/mckinnonIndict.htmSource snippet
Department of JusticeLondon, England Hacker Indicted Under Computer Fraud...McKinnon installed a remote administration tool, a number of...
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Source: cybereason.com
Title: Malicious Life Podcast: The U.S
Link: https://www.cybereason.com/blog/malicious-life-podcast-the-u.s-vs.-gary-mckinnonSource snippet
vs. Gary McKinnonChoosing to use RemotelyAnywhere as a means of access was a sneaky move, because it's a software tool not only used by h...
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Source: wired.com
Title: dot mil hackers download mistake
Link: https://www.wired.com/2002/11/dot-mil-hackers-download-mistake/Source snippet
Dot-Mil Hacker's Download Mistake15 Nov 2002 — Gary McKinnon, the Briton indicted this week for hacking into scores of U.S. military...
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Source: media.defense.gov
Title: Mc Kinnon comphacker
Link: https://media.defense.gov/2002/Nov/12/2001711901/-1/-1/1/McKinnon_comphacker.pdfSource snippet
Department of WarU.S. Department of Justice United States Attorney Eastern...12 Nov 2002 — Once he was able to access the computers, McK...
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Source: publications.parliament.uk
Title: mckinn 1
Link: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200708/ldjudgmt/jd080730/mckinn-1.htmSource snippet
UK ParliamentMckinnon V Government of The United States of America...30 Jul 2008 — Having gained access to those accounts he installed u...
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Source: justice.gov
Title: Department of Justice British National Charged with Hacking Into N.J
Link: https://www.justice.gov/archive/criminal/cybercrime/press-releases/2002/mckinnonIndict2.htmSource snippet
Indictment charges that on April 7, 2001, McKinnon hacked into the NWS Earle computer network through the [Port Services]({{ 'port-services/' | relative_url }}) comp...
Published: April 7, 2001
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Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/t0imdw/hi_im_gary_mckinnon_i_was_in_the_news_for_a/Source snippet
Hi, i'm Gary Mckinnon. I was in the news for a decade after getting...I was arrested in March 2002 for 'hacking' into various.gov...
Published: March 2002
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Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/hacking/comments/1etqs6b/how_gary_mckinnon_did_what_he_did/ -
Source: malicious.life
Link: https://malicious.life/episode/us_vs_gary_mckinnon/Source snippet
The US vs. Gary McKinnonGary McKinnon, a British hacker with Asperger's, broke into NASA & US Army networks - to find evidence of UFO cov...
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Source: csoonline.com
Link: https://www.csoonline.com/article/523728/malware-cybercrime-court-allows-extradition-of-british-hacker-to-proceed.htmlSource snippet
CSO OnlineCourt Allows Extradition of British Hacker to Proceed31 Jul 2009 — While in the U.K., McKinnon has freely admitted to hacking t...
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Source: schneier.com
Title: Gary Mc Kinnon
Link: https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2008/08/garuy_mckinnon.htmlSource snippet
Gary McKinnon - Schneier on SecurityAugust 4, 2008 — The interview I saw with McKinnon implied that he just hit systems with the default...
Published: August 4, 2008
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Source: Wikipedia
Title: Gary Mc Kinnon
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_McKinnonSource snippet
Gary McKinnonGary McKinnon (born February 1966) is a Scottish systems administrator and hacker who was accused by a US prosecutor in 2...
Published: February 1966
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Source: GOV.UK
Title: latest on gary mckinnon case
Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/latest-on-gary-mckinnon-caseSource snippet
on Gary McKinnon case4 Nov 2010 — Mr McKinnon is accused by US authorities of the unauthorised access of 97 government computers concerne...
Additional References
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Source: vlex.co.uk
Link: https://vlex.co.uk/vid/mckinnon-v-united-states-793612009Source snippet
McKinnon v United States of AmericaHaving gained access to those administrative accounts, he installed unauthorised remote access and adm...
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Source: blackhatethicalhacking.com
Title: gary mckinnon and the biggest military computer hack of all time
Link: https://www.blackhatethicalhacking.com/articles/gary-mckinnon-and-the-biggest-military-computer-hack-of-all-time/Source snippet
Hacking Stories: Gary McKinnon and the "biggest military...16 Nov 2020 — On these unsecured machines, McKinnon installed a software prog...
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Source: pinsentmasons.com
Title: alleged uk hacker will fight extradition to us
Link: https://www.pinsentmasons.com/out-law/news/alleged-uk-hacker-will-fight-extradition-to-usSource snippet
14 Nov 2002 — Once he was able to access the computers, McKinnon is alleged to have installed a remote administration tool, a number of h...
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Source: pinsentmasons.com
Title: pentagon hacker mckinnon fights extradition
Link: https://www.pinsentmasons.com/out-law/news/pentagon-hacker-mckinnon-fights-extraditionSource snippet
'Pentagon hacker' McKinnon fights extradition28 Jul 2005 — McKinnon is accused of scanning networks for vulnerabilities and extracting ad...
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Source: redhotcyber.com
Title: famous hackers the story of gary mckinnon
Link: https://www.redhotcyber.com/en/post/famous-hackers-the-story-of-gary-mckinnon/Source snippet
Famous Hackers: The Story of Gary McKinnon.1 Jul 2025 — On these unsecured machines, McKinnon installed a software program called Remotel...
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Source: verticalvertical.com
Link: https://verticalvertical.com/hacking-the-pentagon-in-search-of-ufosSource snippet
Hacking the Pentagon in search of UFO'sIn November 2002, Gary McKinnon was indicted by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Vi...
Published: November 2002
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Source: futureintelligence.co.uk
Title: Gary Mc Kinnon was unlucky
Link: https://www.futureintelligence.co.uk/2012/10/18/gary-mckinnon-was-unlucky-hes-not-even-a-good-hacker/Source snippet
He's not even a very good hacker18 Oct 2012 — The penetration testing company, working with Surrey Police, quickly found that a backdoor...
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Source: theguardian.com
Link: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2005/jul/27/hacking.internetcrimeSource snippet
Hacker 'left note on US army computer' | Hacking27 Jul 2005 — Mr McKinnon, 39, faces extradition to the US over claims he accessed dozens...
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Source: itnews.com.au
Link: https://www.itnews.com.au/feature/profile-gary-mckinnon-mastermind-behind-us-military-hack-82789Source snippet
Profile: Gary McKinnon mastermind behind US military hack4 Jun 2007 — What is widely known is that he allegedly hacked into a number of U...
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Source: theguardian.com
Link: https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2005/jul/09/weekend7.weekend2Source snippet
Game over | Gary McKinnon9 Jul 2005 — ' " They found Gary in the end because he'd used his own email address to download a hacking progra...
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