Security threats Toolkit

Irish hack attack lands teenager in trouble

Will Knight ZDNet.co.uk

Published: 29 Aug 2000 10:10 BST

Police investigators in Ireland are questioning a teenager following the country's first major hack attack.

The security breach on 17 August forced Ireland's largest ISP Eircom, to alter 30,000 customer Internet dial-up and email account passwords. The service provider reviewed its security infrastructure after an individual gained unauthorised access to one of its servers.

The attack could have granted access to customer account user names and passwords.

A 17-year-old was arrested in connection with the incident on 27 August in County Wicklow by the Garda National Bureau of Fraud Investigation. The teen was detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act as part of an investigation into damage to computer data.

Investigators said no one else is being sought in connection with the investigation.

The teenager was released the same day without charges and investigators will present evidence to the Director of Public Prosecutions before it is decided whether there is a case to be answered.

This is the first major computer security incident to hit Ireland.

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