Adelaide hacker pleads guilty to infecting 3000 PCs

A 21-year-old Adelaide man pleaded guilty in Adelaide district court today on charges stemming from a hacking spree last year that SA police alleged netted him credit card and bank details on 3000 PCs in Australia and overseas.

Before Judge Paul Rice, Anthony Scott Harrison pleaded guilty to charges of modifying computer data to cause harm or inconvenience, possession and control of data to commit a serious computer offence and dishonestly manipulating a machine for his own benefit.

Harrison was arrested last July.

The court previously heard that Harrison's malicious software could infect up to 74,000 PCs around the world.

Commonwealth prosecutors alleged at Harrison's first appearance last year that his crime spree led to a "worldwide arrest situation". They estimated it took police 20 weeks to collect evidence in the case.

Judge Rice remanded Harrison on bail before sentencing submissions in September, the ABC reported.