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Mumsnet hack update - police have charged someone

243 replies

JustineMumsnet · 21/05/2016 19:30

Hello,

Many of you will remember last August’s hacking attack on Mumsnet.

I'm pleased to say that today someone has appeared in court, charged with offences related to the attacks (though not the swatting attacks) and will appear at Guildford Magistrate court on 07th June.

The Met tell us that the suspect has been charged with: “two offences of causing a computer to perform function to secure / enable unauthorised access to a program / data, contrary to section 1 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990 and also one offence of unauthorised acts with intent to impair operation of or prevent / hinder access to a computer, contrary to section 3 of the Computer Misuse act 1990.”

The Met’s Cyber Crime Unit is continuing investigations into the incident, including the swatting attacks that also took place. We'll let you know as and when we hear anything further.

Thanks,
Justine

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HelenaDove · 02/08/2016 23:41

I bet if he had been from a housing estate the sentence would have been more severe.

So its still possible that the hackers could have been disgruntled exes.

tribpot · 02/08/2016 22:06

I think based on the Mail's reporting of the Judge's comment, this isn't Jeffrey. I don't think the Mail is correct to say leaking the usernames and passwords led to the swatting attacks.

divafever99 · 02/08/2016 21:39

I'm confused, was he not dadsec?

DesolateWaist · 02/08/2016 21:37

So he wasn't Jeffery then?

HiddenMeaning · 02/08/2016 21:36

I'm curious whether the three day suspension that The Royal Grammar School, Guildford gave David Buchanan for hacking the school intranet had much effect.

HiddenMeaning · 02/08/2016 21:31

I've been googling and the most entertaining and predictable write up goes to The Daily Star which describes David Buchanan as a 'warped bored teenager' , a 'nerd' and 'geeky'.....oh dear!
It has quite a few photos of him

Mumsnet hack update - police have charged someone
BoreOfWhabylon · 02/08/2016 21:21

MailOnline has a bit more detail

HiddenMeaning · 02/08/2016 21:17

Tribpot
As reading that, you could argue that he actually did nothing criminal, just created a script. The fact that other people used it maliciously isn't his responsibility

He has done the equivalent of giving a key to a locked building to his cronies so they can go and rob it. I think 🤔

tribpot · 02/08/2016 21:15

Actually according to the Beeb it was Justine who said that this guy published the login details. I hope the Register will cover the story in some detail now the sentence has been given.

HiddenMeaning · 02/08/2016 21:11

HERE is the write up on the BBC. The BBC article says he was responsible for publishing the log in details but that contradicts the GetSurrey article.

David Buchanan s photo appears in the GetSurrey article.

I think the sentencing went how I suspected it would (as did the defense)

divafever99 · 02/08/2016 21:10

Jeff looks just like I expected him to!

tribpot · 02/08/2016 21:09

I wonder if the police are any nearer finding the people who actually did hack the site using his script. The major offender in this was the person who called in the armed police.

BoreOfWhabylon · 02/08/2016 21:05

I wonder if Mumsnet can take a civil case out to recoup the £82,000 it cost MN?

WaitrosePigeon · 02/08/2016 20:55

He got off lightly then, what a disappointment.

I'm sure the victim surcharge will devastate him. not

tribpot · 02/08/2016 20:54

I'd like to see a write-up in a newspaper that could better grasp the technical implications of what he did. As reading that, you could argue that he actually did nothing criminal, just created a script. The fact that other people used it maliciously isn't his responsibility. Except you can't help but note in more conventional crimes he would be charged as an accessory, which doesn't seem to have been the case here?

WaitrosePigeon · 02/08/2016 11:29
HiddenMeaning · 02/08/2016 02:24

Today's the day. Let's see what happens. 🤔

WoahSlowDown · 27/07/2016 01:24

.

HiddenMeaning · 14/07/2016 17:19

MamaMea. Yes, I think you missed something. I jokingly suggested you might get banned by MNHQ as you don't seem to think David Buchanan did anything too serious while I suspect MNHQ do.

I jokingly suggested you might know David Buchanan or his family because you were sticking up for him and also because I thought you lived in the same area.

mamamea · 14/07/2016 07:35

" you are going to get yourself banned from Mumsnet with talk like that"

talk like what? I must have missed something?

"You don't know David Buchanan by any chance? wink"

Er, no. He's a few years older than my son and goes to a different school and lives in a different area. I know a bit about boys messing around computers that's all.....

HiddenMeaning · 13/07/2016 23:24

I didn't finish my sentence...

I meant to write That I'm not sure Justine and her team would agree that it was 'teenage high jinx'

HiddenMeaning · 13/07/2016 23:22

Mamamea Shock Shock you are going to get yourself banned from Mumsnet with talk like that. I'm not sure Justine and her team would agree.

You don't know David Buchanan by any chance? Wink

mamamea · 13/07/2016 23:12

"It's not a case of teenage high jinks. Don't you think he will have known full well that lots of people reuse passwords across websites and don't you think a high achieving lad like him will have known the possible consequences of publishing them?"

Well he obviously he didn't do it for money. I guess he thought it was fun. It seems like a case of teenage high jinks to me.

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 13/07/2016 22:19

I doubt MN is a "secuiry joke" they are one of the biggest sites in the UK

You weren't here for the heartbleed debacle were you?

Although admittedly that thread started by 'Justine' was pretty funny.