&gt;<i>the truth is that no real damage was caused despite the potential</i><p>This is the crux of what bothers me about these cases.  Most of the time, it&#x27;s harmless pranking.  But the hackers are being punished based on <i>potential</i> damage.  Sure, the potential damage is high, but it also speaks to the morals of the individuals doing the hacking that they choose to do nothing but a stupid joke.