PC Technician Convicted for Installing Spyware on Computers of Clients

Trevor Harwell of 20 years hailing from Los Angeles, and a PC repair technician by profession was charged of planting malware on the machines of clients without any intimation, reported theregister.co.uk on June 9, 2011.

While fixing the machines, Harwell took undue advantage of accessing user's computer and their webcam. And he supposedly planted spyware package called Camcapture on these machines.

Once accessibility was attained, Harlem used to take obscene photographs of females, often changing their clothes or undressed, reported Fullerton Police (Los Angeles) Sgt. Andrew Goodrich in latimes.com on June 9, 2011.

The first instance came into evidence during the 2010 summers, when a Fullerton resident called up police for assistance about suspicious messages on PC, reported Goodrich.

In one such message, the complainant's daughter was advised to carry her laptop to the bathroom. As the message was quite scrupulous, the complainant took immediate help from the Police.

Police later on unveiled that many users who obtained similar message as told above, took their laptops in their bathroom while taking a bath, while Harwell allegedly photographed them.

All these obscene photographs were then stored in a remote server and Harwell consecutively downloaded them on his own PC.

Police have claimed of thousands photographs on Harwell's own computer. He is now confronted with 12 such felony counts of accessing computers illegally and with cases of fraud. Rezitech, the company that hired him is helping out police during the prosecution with all the needful.

According to Graham Cluley, Senior Technology Consultant at security firm Sophos, this sort of the aforementioned scam has been around quite for some time, reports nakedsecurity.sophos on June 9, 2011.

Hackers can even dare to secretly spy over people in their bedrooms and exploit technology to an extent that young women becomes obliged to pose naked to avoid societal shame.

PCs are required to provide security for people at every age but people especially at the tender years should have all latest anti-virus software, security patches and firewalls. Young people should also be trained towards behaving safely online in order to avoid being exploited by scrupulous hackers concluded Cluley.

Related article: PC-Virus of 2005 Threatening Japanese Bank Accountholders, Warns Symantec

» SPAMfighter News - 6/20/2011