British Law Enforcement Agency Loses Bid To Get Passwords From Hacker Lauri Love

A British court has rejected a bid by the National Crime Agency (NCA) to force alleged hacker Lauri Love to divulge the encryption keys for his computers, reports BBC News.

The computers were seized in a raid by the authorities from Love's house in 2013. Love is charged with stealing confidential data from computers of the US Army, NASA and the US Federal Reserve, causing losses in “millions of dollars.” He is currently out on bail.

NCA had filed a legal application to get Love to hand over the encryption keys so they could access his computers. District Judge Nina Tempia threw out the request on the grounds that authorities should use normal police powers under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) versus taking civil action, according to the BBC.

Judge Tempia said the powers of the court should not be used to "circumnavigate" existing laws and safeguards. 

Love, who faces extradition to the US and could get 99 years in jail, accused the NCA of “trying to undermine protections safeguarding individuals’ property.”

For full story, go to BBC News.