Teenage fan hacks into Apple network
A teen admits accessing the tech firm's network, stealing sensitive files and saving them in a folder named "hacky hack hack".
Friday 17 August 2018 09:59, UK
A teenager has said he hacked into Apple's main computer network because he was a fan of the company and had hoped to work for them.
The 16-year-old, from the Australian city of Melbourne, downloaded large internal files and accessed customer accounts, according to statements from his lawyer.
He saved them in a folder named "hacky hack hack", according to reports, and later told police that he had "dreamed of" working for the technology firm.
The boy, who cannot be identified because of his age, appeared at the Children's Court to plead guilty to the hacking.
The court heard that he had broken into the company's mainframe a number of times last year and downloaded around 90 gigabytes of files before the hack was traced and he was blocked.
Apple contacted the FBI after becoming aware of the hack and the matter was then referred to the Australian Federal Police.
The AFP raided the boy's family home last year and found two Apple laptops with serial numbers that matched those of the devices used in the hacking.
A prosecutor told the court: "A mobile phone and hard drive were also seized and the IP address... matched the intrusions into the organisation.
"The purpose was to connect remotely to the company's internal systems."
The court heard that the teenager's hacking plan had "worked flawlessly" until he was caught.
He had even boasted about his exploits to others using WhatsApp.
His defence lawyer said he had become so well known in the global hacking community that even mentioning the case in too much detail could expose him to risk.
Representatives from the AFP and Apple did not comment.
The boy will be sentenced next month.