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15-Year-Old Arrested For Hacking 259 Companies

Posted by samzenpus on from the needs-more-homework dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Austrian police have arrested a 15-year-old student suspected of hacking into 259 companies across the span of three months. Authorities allege the suspect scanned the Internet for vulnerabilities and bugs in websites and databases that he could then exploit. As soon as he was questioned, the young boy confessed to the attacks, according to Austria's Federal Criminal Police Office (BMI)."

12 of 153 comments (clear)

  1. Not hacking by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    nerd voice

    Excuuuuse me. The term is 'cracking'.

    / nerd voice

    1. Re:Not hacking by Tarlus · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The teenager used various hacking tools widely available on the Internet, including software that helped him remain anonymous.

      Nothing more than a script kiddie.

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      /* No Comment */
    2. Re:Not hacking by jellomizer · · Score: 5, Funny

      A real hacker would break into 256 companies, not 259... What was he thinking?
      Unless he actually broke into 512 or 1024 companies.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    3. Re:Not hacking by mcgrew · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Citation? because the AC is correct. I understand how muggles confuse nerd terms, but they've taken OUR word for modifying hardware or writing quick-and-dirty single-use code and we let the muggles mangle the meaning of OUR word! As someone already pointed out, he's not a "hacker", he's a script kiddie. The hackers wrote the code he used for his cyberburglary and cybervandalism.

      I never thought I'd see the day when we would be acceptable, let alone the day normal people pretend to be us.

      --
      Free Martian Whores!
    4. Re:Not hacking by Nrrqshrr · · Score: 5, Funny

      He was probably aiming for 1337 companies...

    5. Re:Not hacking by amRadioHed · · Score: 5, Funny

      First, you use a made-up word...

      Care to give an example of a word that is not made-up?

      --
      We hope your rules and wisdom choke you / Now we are one in everlasting peace
    6. Re:Not hacking by DarwinSurvivor · · Score: 4, Informative

      all words are made up. Muggle is a valid word. It is in the dictionary because people use it.

      http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/muggle?q=muggle

    7. Re:Not hacking by hellkyng · · Score: 5, Funny

      Actually I believe he was going for 640 companies broken into, and that really ought to be enough for anyone.

  2. System Operator arrested by Ranx · · Score: 5, Funny

    System Operator arrested for leaving the computer system of the company he worked for vulnerable for attacks by kids. Oh wait...

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    Me
  3. Re:Brilliant by Lunix+Nutcase · · Score: 4, Funny

    Ha ha! Spelling Nazi fail.

  4. Hollywood would disagree by betterunixthanunix · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If you actually read 2600 magazine, the scope of the articles fits in with the typical definition of a hacker: someone who likes to tinker with computers and other electronics. There is something of a bias toward computer security, but I have also seen articles about undocumented functions of electronics, technical information about various networking equipment, and so forth.

    Hollywood, on the other hand, turned "hacker" into a code word for "computer criminal." No surprises there, given that Hollywood's view of computing is basically the antithesis of what the old school hackers had in mind. Hollywood thinks that computers should only be programmed by licensed professionals, who can be held accountable for the software they write (e.g. deCSS). In Hollywood's view of the world, if you buy a computer that has been programmed to stop you from running your own software (e.g. an iPhone, a PS3, etc.), then defeating those restrictions is criminal behavior -- and they got that codified in the law with the DMCA.

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    Palm trees and 8
  5. Re:Security blanket by b4dc0d3r · · Score: 4, Interesting

    A 15 year old most likely is not mature enough to have that level of understanding.

    Disregarding his age, anyone would fall into the same trap. Dip your feet in the water, and don't get caught. Go a little further, and still remain undetected. Maybe you get detected next time, but they can't find you. All from the psychologically safe bedroom/basement instead of getting in your car (which a 15 year old in Austria may not be allowed to do).

    Once you truly understand how the network works, and you're writing your own tools, you understand that the safest place you can be is in public, away from anything personal including hotel reservations. But that also has to include CCTV or other surveillance. Until then, the comfort zone of "home" makes you feel you can not get caught. The illusion of safety when you are at your most vulnerable. Especially when repeated attacks come from the same place.

    Disclaimer: I'm not a white hat, nor a black hat, nor an any hat. But I have read a lot about people and what makes them do stupid things.