Brendan Manning reports:
A 20-year-old Auckland computer hacker has been discharged without conviction after launching a cyber-attack on the University of Melbourne in 2011.
Neil McDonald appeared before Judge Pippa Sinclair at the North Shore District Court today facing one charge of intentionally accessing a computer system without authority.
The charge faces a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment.
Outlining the police summary of facts, Judge Sinclair said the attack occurred between November 12 and 15, 2011 when McDonald, then 17, launched a “SQL [structured query language] injection attack” through a redundant service database at the University of Melbourne.
The court heard the type of attack used by McDonald was commonly used by hackers.
McDonald gained the logins and passwords for four administrators and 275 staff members in the attack and then contacted the university and claimed responsibility, the court heard.
He also boasted about the attack on social media and in a radio interview, Judge Sinclair said.
Read more on New Zealand Herald to find out why he escaped conviction.
Earlier this year, McDonald reportedly posted this statement on Facebook:
Okay, so 3 years ago I gained access to The University of Melbourne. 5 different departments databases. I had access to various types of [redacted] logins etc. Interpol gets hold of it, under: Operation Akimbo. They found me, I gave a statement, and confessed. Now I have 3 weeks to build a case before my final court appearance.
The crime wasn’t malicious and there was no intent for “finding gold”. It was merely a challenge, which I apparently passed.
In any event, he seems to have been given a second chance, and we hope he avails himself of it.