Illawarra-based infosec researcher Nik Cubrilovic has escaped jail time for accessing the systems of car sharing service GoGet without authorisation.
Facing Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday, Cubrilovic was sentenced to a two-year community corrections order after pleading guilty to a reduced set of charges in March.
He had originally pleaded not guilty to accessing customer data and free rides through the company’s fleet booking system, but changed the plea to guilty after the majority of 37 charges were withdrawn by NSW Police.
The remaining charges were for five counts of take and drive conveyance without consent of owner, and one count each of dealing with identity and dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception.
On Wednesday, Magistrate Georgina Darcy rejected the 39-year-old’s explanation for the offences, which she said were “notoriously difficult to detect” and had “required a great deal of resources to investigate”.
She said the nature of the offences - while out of character for Cubrilovic - required a level of deterrence be imposed, but did not warrant imprisonment.
The two-year community corrections order imposed largely relates to the more serious charges of dealing with identity and dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception.
This will include 400 hours of community service, which is towards the upper range for offence condition.
In making her decision, Darcy took into into account the 15 months that Cubrilovic has already been without access to electronic devices or the internet.
He has also be ordered to pay $938.70 in compensation to GoGet, as well as $678.50 to an individual.
NSW Police will also make an application to have two iPhones and two laptop hard drives destroyed, which they say could still contain the details of GoGet customers.
