In some countries, you will get the death sentence for distributing malware, hacking or sending spam.
It depends on the damage that your actions caused and what country files the charges against you.
There is a guy in my area (USA) that got caught hacking into a banking site and he got 60 years in prison with no possibility of parole.
Since he is already in his 30's, it is basically a life sentence about the same sentence as first degree murder.
That should be enough reasons to make people think more than twice before wanting to do the same. It may take many years before they catch you but they usually will.
Enjoy!!
On top of that the computer industry and notable the governments associated with it facilitating malware distribution and the use of industry & military grade rootkits and exploits by using them for intelligence and cyber warfare purposes.
This while the very people creating these applications are being alienated by those who see their own monsters turn against them.
I personally know a few key people within the blackhat community who on a regular bases take governmental sponsored projects on request. And according to them less then 20% of the malware is created by people who do want to harm the internet as its a lucrative business the other 80% is being cut down to a whopping 70% which is being maintained by government sponsored groups and key figures.
The last 10% are just people like you and me who create software with the aim to tweak and help/mod programs and see their software having unintended dual purposes.
So if for example the US government is going to go after those who create these malware then it is actually dual standards.
Have them talk to hackers, testers and key people within the dark side of the industry, understand their world and understand their motivations and acknowledge their expertise. But more important the government and the industry need to stop utilizing technology that was made to defend them against the very technology itself.
Its just not right and it does not fit.
Most of the people behind the rootkit industry are the very same people that got rejected many years ago when they warned the industry about the monsters they created.
And with the last 5 years full of revelations it becomes painfully clear that nations and groups around the world finally have a affordable way of striking back and making their voice heard across the world, for all the wrong doings the industry and governmental institutions have caused in the first place.
I am not saying that i accept what hacker groups do, but due my own work in the industry i know key people and they come directly from the industry themselves.
And imo governmental organisations and sponsored groups will cause individuals to go under ground and cause more and more damage, because in my humble opinion i have seen and witnessed some of these individuals while they where doing their thing, and what tools they have at their disposal and especially their knowledge and expertise.
That said both the EU and US as well as ASIA have no clue how far behind they are when it comes to these people.
For example if you see the amount of resources available to the NSA or to the EU counterparts and you see the tools they have available? and you compare that to the average hacker tool box, then i say one thing: Watch out of hacker X gets pissed off.
One needs to realize not all of them are bad, and most of them have very legit reasons of doing what they do, and this cannot be said about their "victims"
Ask yourself the question if its legal and morally right to sponsor a group to create a tool for you, and after they are done and delivered the desired product to go after them just because they made some tools for a different client.?
Ones you are demonizing people then usually you do create a demon.
Thats the raw reality.