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NZ teen convicted of cyber crime | NZ teen convicted of cyber crime |
(about 1 hour later) | |
A New Zealand teenager accused of being the ringleader of an international cyber-crime network has been convicted. | A New Zealand teenager accused of being the ringleader of an international cyber-crime network has been convicted. |
Owen Thor Walker, 18, admitted six charges of using computers for illegal purposes and will be sentenced in May. | Owen Thor Walker, 18, admitted six charges of using computers for illegal purposes and will be sentenced in May. |
Police allege the group infiltrated more than one million computers and used them to skim at least $20.4m (£10.3m) from private bank accounts. | Police allege the group infiltrated more than one million computers and used them to skim at least $20.4m (£10.3m) from private bank accounts. |
He was detained last November as part of an FBI investigation into global botnets - networks of hijacked PCs. | He was detained last November as part of an FBI investigation into global botnets - networks of hijacked PCs. |
Exceptional talent | Exceptional talent |
A botnet can be controlled over the internet by a single computer. | A botnet can be controlled over the internet by a single computer. |
It installs malicious software on PCs around the world to collect information such as login names, bank account details and credit card numbers. | It installs malicious software on PCs around the world to collect information such as login names, bank account details and credit card numbers. |
Walker pleaded guilty to charges of accessing a computer for dishonest purposes, interfering with computer systems, possession of software for committing crime and accessing computer systems without authorisation, the New Zealand Press Association said. | Walker pleaded guilty to charges of accessing a computer for dishonest purposes, interfering with computer systems, possession of software for committing crime and accessing computer systems without authorisation, the New Zealand Press Association said. |
New Zealand police said he had begun committing the crimes at school, and had designed an encrypted virus that was undetectable by anti-virus software. | |
It allowed him access to usernames and passwords as well as credit card details, and was used by others to commit the frauds. | |
Walker faces up to five years in prison for several of the charges, but Judge Arthur Tompkins indicated he was not considering a custodial sentence. | |
Walker was detained in New Zealand's North Island city of Hamilton and is reported to have Asperger's syndrome - a neurobiological disorder which can result in deficiencies in social skills. | Walker was detained in New Zealand's North Island city of Hamilton and is reported to have Asperger's syndrome - a neurobiological disorder which can result in deficiencies in social skills. |
Although patients have normal intelligence, some may have exceptional talent in a specific area. | Although patients have normal intelligence, some may have exceptional talent in a specific area. |