The following press release was issued by the National Crime Agency today:
A computer hacker has admitted stealing hundreds of user accounts from a US military communications system.
Sean Caffrey, 25, of Sutton Coldfield, accessed and stole the ranks, usernames and email addresses of more than 800 users of a satellite communications system, as well as of about 30,000 satellite phones.
He pleaded guilty at Birmingham Crown Court today to an offence under the Computer Misuse Act.
The theft from the US Department of Defense (DoD) took place on 15 June 2014. Officers from the NCA’s National Cyber Crime Unit (NCCU) and West Midlands Police arrested Caffrey in March 2015 after intelligence showed the hack originated from his internet connection.
Forensic examination of his computers by NCA officers found the stolen data on the hard drives.
NCA officers also found that an online messaging account linked to the attack had been opened and operated under a pseudonym using Caffrey’s computers.
The DoD said it cost approximately $628,000 to fix the damage caused by the hacker’s intrusion.
Janey Young, investigations manager at the NCA, said: “After strong partnership working between the NCA, the FBI and the DoD’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service there was very clear, very compelling evidence against Sean Caffrey.
“No one should think that cyber crime is victimless or that they can get away with it.
“The NCA has people with skills like Caffrey’s, but they’re doing the opposite to him in detecting cyber criminals and bringing them to justice.
“We’re working to keep the internet a safe space for people who use it legitimately.”
The press release does not indicate what sentence Caffrey might face. Nor is it clear from this press release why the U.S. was okay with Caffrey prosecuted in the UK but insists on extraditing Lauri Love for his alleged hacks of government agencies. If anyone knows the answers to those questions, please let me know.
Funny,
That a person hacked into the Sat Computer system, Downloaded data, Decompressed and decoded it..
Anyone understand this?? Or is our gov. so Ignorant to think no one is listening or Trying to connect to their system??
I hear the guy is suicidal as well as a bit insane in the head. Who knows what he will do now. Who knows? Only time will tell what this individual will do for being pressured into a guilty plea.
Its still,
WHO left the door open?
There are so many tricks to protect servers, and the data on them..
Ever see the story of the First Hackers?? WHY and how?
There was very little REAL security.
You set something up with direct access to a Portal that can be accessed by ANYONE..and you dont had a few tricks??
Fools.
The originals went to jail for the incompetence of OTHERS.