Alleged hacker faces court action

Facing charges related to hacking into the computer system of an Australian ISP, a 17-year-old from Brisbane was expected to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court later next month.

The arrest of the alleged hacker followed an investigation - which took less than 24 hours - by the Australian High Tech Crime Centre (AHTCC), and was the first of its kind under the Criminal Code Act 1995, according to a statement issued by the Australian Federal Police.

AHTCC director federal agent Alastair MacGibbon described the arrest as significant.
In addition to being arresting for hacking into the computer system of the Australian ISP, the youth also allegedly hacked into the system of a university in the UK.

The charges were two counts of unauthorised access to computer systems using the telecommunication network, according to the Australian Federal Police (AFP).

The investigation was sparked by a complaint from the ISP that its computer system had been accessed without authority, the AFP said.

MacGibbon said, 'The hacking incidents in this particular case were serious. Once the ISP involved realised a breach had occurred, they contacted us quickly and were very cooperative with providing information.

'We regard computer hacking as a very serious issue and will continue working closely with Australian and international agencies to ensure the people who commit crimes of this nature face the full consequences of the law,' he said.