[ISN] Man admits he hacked into California university application system

From: InfoSec News (alerts@private)
Date: Wed Sep 06 2006 - 23:25:53 PDT


http://www.theage.com.au/news/Technology/Man-admits-he-hacked-into-California-university-application-system/2006/09/06/1157222184015.html

September 6, 2006

A San Diego man was so upset that the University of Southern
California did not admit him as a student that he hacked into the
school's application system and stole other would-be students'
personal information, he admitted in court.

Eric McCarty, 24, pleaded guilty Tuesday to a felony count of
accessing a protected computer without authorization and was scheduled
to be sentenced Dec. 4. Under terms of a plea bargain with
prosecutors, he is expected to receive six months of home detention
and pay nearly $37,000 (euro28,884) in restitution.

In June 2005, McCarty accessed identification numbers, names,
addresses, dates of birth and applicants' passwords to the USC site,
according to the government. Federal investigators found information
on seven different people on McCarty's home computer, which they
seized.

After the break-in, McCarty created a new e-mail account using the
sign-on "ihackedusc". Prosecutors said he used that account to send
messages explaining what he had done to a reporter at the Web site
securityfocus.com. The reporter contacted university officials.

Authorities said McCarty also boasted and joked about his
accomplishment on his blog.

© 2006 AP DIGITAL



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