Teenager Hacked Sony’s PlayStation Website

An honor roll student (17 years of age) of Greater Latrobe Senior High School (USA) was brought in the court on February 24, 2010 to give his response to charges laid down against him. He has been accused of using a computer virus that blocked an Internet gaming website for eleven days between November 16 and November 26, 2008.

The student studies in 11th grade and has been found guilty to four offenses - distribution of a computer virus, unauthorized use of computer, criminal trespassing and criminal use of a computer. These offences are raised by a federal grand jury investigation in San Diego (USA). Federal prosecutors have consented not to charge the student with other related offenses, such as a similar computer hack in the month of March 2009.

The Police have stated that the student used his computer skills to block Sony's PlayStation website after he had been devoid of using it for cheating with other online gamers while playing a war game. The Police have also revealed that he employed hacker tools to contact with other virus infected computers. These infected computers were directed by the student to hack three games of PlayStation website and then make them go offline.

Robert Jones, Greensburg police Sgt., who was also a member of an FBI task force investigating Sony's computer crash, stated on February 24, 2010 that the investigators had found the origin of malicious attack disrupted the services to the teenager, as reported by Pittsburgh Tribune Review on February 25, 2010.

Meanwhile, a computer firm in Westmoreland County (USA) has stated that hacking is not a difficult task and other teens could also do the same without putting in efforts. The federal investigators took the issue very seriously just to send a message to teenagers that hacking is a criminal offense.

John Driscoll, Westmoreland County Judge, said that video games could develop addiction among children like sex, alcohol, drugs and caffeine, as reported by Pittsburgh Tribune Review on February 25, 2010. Driscoll further stated that he had seen a young boy learning the tactics of spreading computer viruses, but he did not want to see other boys doing the same mistake.

Driscoll permitted the boy to go to his parents' home and attend school, but he would get punishment later in 2010.

Related article: Teenager Proved Guilty of Hacking Swedish Universities’ Computers

» SPAMfighter News - 3/9/2010