The cases below are historical examples described in the original website. They illustrate the consequences of unauthorised access. They are not recent incidents.
Unauthorised hacking can cause serious harm and carry significant consequences. Use your technical ability constructively. Build solutions, protect systems and develop your skills through authorised learning.
Historical Cases: The Human Cost of Unauthorised Access
On 13.11.2001 the Cyber Crime Police Station at C.O.D. arrested a Graduate Electronic Engineer working with a Multi National Company based in Bangalore, India for an offence under The Information Technology Act,2000. On 12.11.2001 Cyber Crime Police Station at C.O.D. Headquarters, Bangalore received a complaint from the above MNC that an unknown hacker having vested interest in closure of the above said organization has sent e-mails to their head office in US threatening either to close their operations in India or to face serious consequence. This e-mail was ignored by the US office but again the accused sent another e-mail warning them of serious consequences which was followed by downing of the Company's e-mail server in US. The accused again boasted through another e-mail of his enormous power and reach. The Bangalore office of the Company approached Cyber Crime Police Station at C.O.D Headquarters, Bangalore for investigation in this case. A case for above offence was registered on 12.11.2001 at Cyber Crime Police Station at C.O.D. Headquarters and investigation was taken up. During investigation police could identify the accused and could establish his links and modus operandi. On 13.11.2001 the accused was produced before the Honourable I Addl. C.M.M. Court, Bangalore and was remanded to Judicial Custody.
Another historical example described in the original article is from the United States about a youngster who believed hacking was harmless and fun, but it was only later when he realised the full destructive impact of his action and the resulting severity of the punishment.
A young hacker found a way to hack into a computer belonging to the phone company and that directs telephone traffic in the Boston area. After he got into the system, the hacker decided to reboot the computer, which basically made it crash. The first time he did this, the hacker completely shut off phone service for six hours to a regional airport so that the air traffic control tower had an extremely hard time communicating. The second time he crashed the computer, he cut off phone service to about 600 homes.
The phone company reported this to the United States Secret Service, which investigated the case and identified all the kids involved. The Justice Department charged the ringleader of the group, a juvenile, with several serious crimes. The student received very serious punishment: he lost his computer, had to pay $5000 to the telephone company, and work free in the community for 250 hours. He was also to be on probation for the next two years, and during that time he was not allowed to use any computer with a modem. That means, of course, he was off the Internet and all other networks.
Consider the Consequences Before You Act
Please think about what you would have felt if you were one of the 600 phone subscribers that were affected. Imagine what would have happened if there were an emergency with you and somebody was sick and you needed the ambulance.
Before accessing someone else’s system or messages, stop and consider how you would feel if someone did the same to you.