Thanks to Kotaku for this one: a US teen has pleaded guilty to criminal offences over his hacking and crashing of a Playstation web site in 2008, which he did in revenge for being kicked out of a tournament for the PS2 game SOCOM US Navy Seals for using a cheat mod.
Apparently, he carried out his attack by infecting the site’s servers with a virus. Clearly, he was savvy enough to carry out the attack, but not savvy enough to hide his tracks, meaning that he was found out and has now pleaded guilty to four felonies: unlawful use of a computer, criminal use of a computer, computer trespassing and the distribution of a computer virus (this was part of a plea bargain and prosecutors have therefore dropped 11 other counts in exchange for the four guilty pleas). Silly boy.
The case gives us an opportunity to remind everyone of the legal position in the UK. The Computer Misuse Act 1990 is the principal legislation for hacking and it criminalises the following main actions:
(i) Intentional attempts to cause a computer to perform any function with intent to obtain unauthorised secure access to a computer or data on it (e.g. phishing),
(ii) Same as (i) but with the intent to carry out a further criminal offence (e.g. hacking a PC in order to commit fraud), or
(iii) acting in any way which causes the unauthorised modification of the contents of any computer, with the intent to impair the operation of any computer/programme or to hinder access to data on any computer (e.g. uploading a virus to a PC or server).
This Act was most recently used publicly by the UK police to swoop in on a group of Runescape players who had been hacking/phishing Runescape accounts for criminal purposes (more on that, and the Computer Misuse Act, here).
This is one of those posts when the legal lesson of the day seems blindingly obvious, but here goes anyway: hacking someone else’s computer or web site is a criminal offence, so don’t do it!
Follow us at www.twitter.com/gamerlaw or subscribe to our weekly email newsletter here
I just wanted to compose a small comment in order to thank you for those lovely steps you are placing at this website. My considerable internet investigation has finally been recognized with beneficial information to go over with my close friends. I ‘d admit that most of us site visitors are unequivocally endowed to exist in a fine place with so many lovely individuals with very helpful secrets. I feel quite grateful to have encountered your entire web page and look forward to tons of more exciting minutes reading here. Thanks a lot once more for a lot of things.
I precisely had to thank you so much yet again. I do not know what I would have handled in the absence of the entire tips and hints documented by you over such field. It had become a very challenging matter for me, but viewing the very specialised fashion you solved it made me to leap for delight. I am thankful for your help and in addition expect you really know what a great job you happen to be providing training men and women thru a web site. I am sure you’ve never got to know all of us.
I intended to write you the little remark so as to thank you over again for those striking pointers you have shared on this page. This has been so wonderfully generous with you to make unhampered just what many individuals might have made available for an ebook to earn some profit for themselves, precisely since you could have tried it if you considered necessary. Those techniques as well worked to provide a good way to be sure that other people have the identical dreams similar to my very own to understand significantly more with respect to this issue. Certainly there are many more pleasurable periods up front for individuals that read through your blog.
My spouse and i were so joyous when Edward managed to deal with his web research because of the precious recommendations he discovered from your very own blog. It’s not at all simplistic to simply continually be freely giving steps that some others may have been trying to sell. We take into account we have got the writer to be grateful to for that. These illustrations you have made, the easy site menu, the relationships you will aid to foster – it’s got many fabulous, and it’s really facilitating our son and the family imagine that this theme is interesting, and that’s pretty indispensable. Many thanks for everything!
I simply needed to say thanks yet again. I do not know the things that I would have undertaken without these tips documented by you directly on my field. It absolutely was a very frustrating crisis in my opinion, however , understanding a well-written approach you managed the issue took me to leap over contentment. I’m just happy for your information and as well , pray you realize what a powerful job you’re accomplishing training most people thru your web page. I know that you’ve never come across any of us.
I precisely desired to thank you very much again. I do not know the things that I would have carried out in the absence of those suggestions shared by you on such area. Completely was a real hard problem in my view, but witnessing the very skilled manner you treated it took me to jump with happiness. I will be thankful for the assistance and then hope that you recognize what a powerful job you’re undertaking teaching others thru a blog. Most likely you have never encountered all of us.
I have to show my thanks to this writer just for rescuing me from this particular issue. As a result of researching throughout the world-wide-web and seeing thoughts which are not beneficial, I was thinking my entire life was over. Living without the strategies to the difficulties you have resolved by way of your main post is a serious case, as well as those which could have badly damaged my career if I hadn’t come across your website. The ability and kindness in handling all things was valuable. I am not sure what I would have done if I hadn’t come upon such a point like this. I am able to now relish my future. Thanks a lot so much for the skilled and results-oriented guide. I won’t hesitate to endorse your web page to any person who needs to have guidance about this subject.
I really wanted to compose a small remark to be able to say thanks to you for all the marvelous strategies you are sharing here. My incredibly long internet research has at the end of the day been honored with high-quality tips to write about with my two friends. I would state that that most of us readers actually are unequivocally blessed to be in a really good network with so many outstanding people with helpful pointers. I feel truly grateful to have discovered your entire weblog and look forward to so many more brilliant times reading here. Thanks again for all the details.
I wish to express thanks to this writer just for bailing me out of this crisis. Right after researching through the the net and getting concepts which were not productive, I was thinking my entire life was over. Existing minus the strategies to the issues you’ve resolved all through your article content is a crucial case, and ones that might have in a wrong way damaged my entire career if I had not come across your blog. Your good expertise and kindness in maneuvering every part was priceless. I’m not sure what I would have done if I had not encountered such a step like this. It’s possible to at this point look forward to my future. Thanks a lot so much for your impressive and effective help. I will not be reluctant to recommend the sites to anybody who will need guidelines about this issue.
I wish to express my appreciation to this writer just for bailing me out of this type of crisis. Because of surfing throughout the the web and coming across solutions that were not helpful, I thought my entire life was over. Being alive without the strategies to the problems you’ve fixed by means of your good guide is a serious case, as well as those that might have in a wrong way affected my entire career if I had not encountered your blog. Your good competence and kindness in taking care of a lot of things was very useful. I am not sure what I would’ve done if I had not come upon such a step like this. It’s possible to at this time look forward to my future. Thanks so much for this specialized and result oriented help. I won’t hesitate to refer your web site to any person who wants and needs assistance about this situation.
I actually wanted to make a message in order to appreciate you for all of the stunning items you are giving at this site. My time intensive internet investigation has at the end been paid with excellent facts and techniques to write about with my best friends. I would mention that we website visitors actually are unquestionably lucky to be in a magnificent network with many outstanding individuals with good techniques. I feel somewhat fortunate to have used the website and look forward to so many more enjoyable minutes reading here. Thank you once more for a lot of things.
I together with my guys were found to be following the great tips and hints located on your web blog while at once came up with an awful suspicion I never thanked you for those secrets. These ladies happened to be totally happy to learn all of them and have honestly been taking pleasure in these things. Many thanks for indeed being indeed helpful and then for picking out this kind of helpful guides millions of individuals are really desirous to be informed on. Our honest apologies for not expressing gratitude to you earlier.
My spouse and i were very satisfied when Louis managed to finish off his analysis through the entire ideas he acquired out of the web page. It’s not at all simplistic to simply happen to be offering guidance which a number of people might have been selling. And we take into account we have the blog owner to be grateful to for this. The most important illustrations you made, the easy site menu, the friendships you will assist to instill – it’s got mostly extraordinary, and it is making our son and our family recognize that the content is satisfying, and that’s pretty mandatory. Many thanks for everything!
I’m just writing to make you understand what a extraordinary discovery my cousin’s child experienced reading through your site. She discovered several issues, most notably what it’s like to have a wonderful coaching heart to make other individuals without hassle learn specified multifaceted subject matter. You truly did more than my desires. Thank you for distributing such helpful, safe, edifying as well as unique thoughts on that topic to Janet.
I precisely wished to thank you very much again. I do not know the things that I could possibly have handled in the absence of these basics revealed by you regarding my area. It absolutely was a real hard concern in my circumstances, but looking at the very professional fashion you processed it made me to jump over joy. Now i’m grateful for this assistance and in addition pray you know what an amazing job you are undertaking teaching the others thru your blog. Most probably you’ve never come across any of us.
I would like to get across my appreciation for your kind-heartedness for folks that really want guidance on this one concern. Your very own dedication to getting the message around came to be certainly helpful and have in every case permitted regular people much like me to get to their pursuits. Your own interesting guidelines can mean so much to me and still more to my colleagues. Regards; from all of us.