Post by w0rd on Oct 19, 2003 7:08:18 GMT -5
UK teenager accused of 'electronic sabotage' against US port
By John Leyden
Posted: 06/10/2003 at 18:34 GMT
A British teenager allegedly brought down the Internet systems of a major US port while attempting to extract revenge on a fellow IRC user, a court heard today.
Aaron Caffrey, 19, allegedly slowed systems at the port of Houston in Texas to a crawl as the result of an attack actually aimed at a fellow chat-room user, called Bokkie. Bokkie’s anti-American remarks days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks annoyed the British teenager so much that he allegedly sought to take out her Net connection using an attack tool he had created.
Caffrey, of Saftesbury, Dorset, pleaded not guilty to the single charge of unauthorised modifications of a computer contrary to Section 3 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990 at the start of his trial today.
Collateral damage
Prosecutor Paul Addison said the port of Houston’s systems were one of an unknown number of intermediary server systems used in the PING flood attack Caffrey allegedly initiated in the early hours of September 21 2001 (UK time).
The court heard extracts from an IRC conversation during which Caffrey (or someone using his AaronX nick-name) argued with Bokkie, a South African 17 year-old then living in the US, over her remarks that Americans were arrogant or "Almighty". Caffrey took particular exception to these remarks because he was in love with an American girl, called Jessica, at the time.
Caffrey had christened his computer Jessica and references to his affection for the girl were found in text strings within a DDoS attack tool, allegedly created by Caffrey, which investigators ultimately recovered from his computer. Computer logs from the Port of Houston enabled police to trace the attack back to a computer in Caffrey’s Dorset home. He was arrested by UK police in January 2002.
Caffrey denies creating the attack tool (named in court as IIS Unicode Exploiter – PING DDoS tool, coded by Aaron) or launching the attack. He maintains that evidence against him was planted on his machine by an attacker who used an unspecified Trojan to gain control of his PC and launch the assault. Addison said the prosecution will call expert witnesses to disprove these claims.
Electronic sabotage
The court heard that an attack launched against the Port of Houston’s Web systems on the evening of September 20 (Central Standard Time) affected the performance of its entire network. As a result data (tides, water depths and weather) to help pilots navigate through the harbour and by shipping companies became inaccessible.
Addison said that the attack "could have had catastrophic repercussions for those reliant on the computer in the Port of Houston", the world’s eighth-busiest maritime facility.
Although no injury or damage was caused, Caffrey’s actions still amount to a form of "electronic sabotage", Addison told the jury.
The court heard that the Port suffered a similar DDoS attack in August 2001 for which a US citizen has already been convicted. Caffrey is not suspected of involvement in that attack.
The case against Caffrey is one of the first times a computer crime prosecution has been put before a jury in the UK. In most such cases, the accused enters a guilty plea or (more infrequently) the prosecution abandons its case long before reaching this stage.
Caffrey suffers from Asperger's Syndrome - a mild form of autism – which impairs his ability to concentrate over extended periods, among other thing. As a result of his medical condition, Judge Loraine Smith allowed Caffrey to sit next to his lawyers and scheduled frequent breaks in the proceedings.
The case, which is scheduled to last for three days, continues. ®
By John Leyden
Posted: 06/10/2003 at 18:34 GMT
A British teenager allegedly brought down the Internet systems of a major US port while attempting to extract revenge on a fellow IRC user, a court heard today.
Aaron Caffrey, 19, allegedly slowed systems at the port of Houston in Texas to a crawl as the result of an attack actually aimed at a fellow chat-room user, called Bokkie. Bokkie’s anti-American remarks days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks annoyed the British teenager so much that he allegedly sought to take out her Net connection using an attack tool he had created.
Caffrey, of Saftesbury, Dorset, pleaded not guilty to the single charge of unauthorised modifications of a computer contrary to Section 3 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990 at the start of his trial today.
Collateral damage
Prosecutor Paul Addison said the port of Houston’s systems were one of an unknown number of intermediary server systems used in the PING flood attack Caffrey allegedly initiated in the early hours of September 21 2001 (UK time).
The court heard extracts from an IRC conversation during which Caffrey (or someone using his AaronX nick-name) argued with Bokkie, a South African 17 year-old then living in the US, over her remarks that Americans were arrogant or "Almighty". Caffrey took particular exception to these remarks because he was in love with an American girl, called Jessica, at the time.
Caffrey had christened his computer Jessica and references to his affection for the girl were found in text strings within a DDoS attack tool, allegedly created by Caffrey, which investigators ultimately recovered from his computer. Computer logs from the Port of Houston enabled police to trace the attack back to a computer in Caffrey’s Dorset home. He was arrested by UK police in January 2002.
Caffrey denies creating the attack tool (named in court as IIS Unicode Exploiter – PING DDoS tool, coded by Aaron) or launching the attack. He maintains that evidence against him was planted on his machine by an attacker who used an unspecified Trojan to gain control of his PC and launch the assault. Addison said the prosecution will call expert witnesses to disprove these claims.
Electronic sabotage
The court heard that an attack launched against the Port of Houston’s Web systems on the evening of September 20 (Central Standard Time) affected the performance of its entire network. As a result data (tides, water depths and weather) to help pilots navigate through the harbour and by shipping companies became inaccessible.
Addison said that the attack "could have had catastrophic repercussions for those reliant on the computer in the Port of Houston", the world’s eighth-busiest maritime facility.
Although no injury or damage was caused, Caffrey’s actions still amount to a form of "electronic sabotage", Addison told the jury.
The court heard that the Port suffered a similar DDoS attack in August 2001 for which a US citizen has already been convicted. Caffrey is not suspected of involvement in that attack.
The case against Caffrey is one of the first times a computer crime prosecution has been put before a jury in the UK. In most such cases, the accused enters a guilty plea or (more infrequently) the prosecution abandons its case long before reaching this stage.
Caffrey suffers from Asperger's Syndrome - a mild form of autism – which impairs his ability to concentrate over extended periods, among other thing. As a result of his medical condition, Judge Loraine Smith allowed Caffrey to sit next to his lawyers and scheduled frequent breaks in the proceedings.
The case, which is scheduled to last for three days, continues. ®
The Register - www.theregister.co.uk/content/55/33246.html
Teenager cleared of h*
Mr Aaron Caffrey walked free from court after being acquitted
A teenager has been cleared of trying to bring one of the US's biggest ports to a standstill by h* into its computer systems.
Aaron Caffrey, 19, was accused of crashing systems at the port of Houston in Texas.
He had faced one charge at Southwark Crown Court of unauthorised modification of computer material.
But Mr Caffrey, of Fairlane, Shaftesbury, Dorset, was found not guilty by a jury on Friday.
Speaking after the verdict, he said he was "very angry" at the way he was "interpreted" and "treated" by the police.
Outside the court his barrister, Iain Ross, said: "He wishes to say that this ordeal has been a dark cloud hanging over him for the last two years.
"He had always insisted he was not guilty and that he was a victim of a criminal act rather than being a criminal himself."
During the trial it was claimed Mr Caffrey had perpetrated a complex crime, involving computer h*, identity theft and fraudulent financial-market trading.
Attack script
Paul Addison prosecuting, told the jury Mr Caffrey hacked into the computer server at the port in order to target a female chatroom user called Bokkie, following an argument.
It was said in court they argued over anti-US remarks she had made.
I have hacked into computers legally for friends to test their server security because they asked me to but never illegally
Doubts cast over future hacker cases
Mr Caffrey, who suffers from a form of autism called Asperger's Syndrome, was said to be in love with an American girl called Jessica.
The court was told he named his computer after her and dedicated his "attack script" to her.
The attack saw scheduling computer systems at the port bombarded with thousands of electronic messages on 20 September, 2001.
It froze the port's web service, which contained vital data for shipping, mooring companies and support firms responsible for helping ships navigate in and out of the harbour.
Hackers and cr*ckers
An investigation by US authorities traced the computer's internet provider number to a computer at Mr Caffrey's home.
But the teenager claimed an unidentified third party had planted the instructions for the attack script on his website without his knowledge.
He also criticised the authorities for not uncovering the virus during their investigation.
On the final day of the trial, Mr Caffrey admitted being part of a group of hackers called Allied Haxor Elite, but denied he had ever illegally hacked into a computer.
The teenager told the court that hackers operated legally, but that people who entered computer systems illegally were known as " cr*ckers".
He said: "I have hacked into computers legally for friends to test their server security because they asked me to but never illegally."
Mr Aaron Caffrey walked free from court after being acquitted
A teenager has been cleared of trying to bring one of the US's biggest ports to a standstill by h* into its computer systems.
Aaron Caffrey, 19, was accused of crashing systems at the port of Houston in Texas.
He had faced one charge at Southwark Crown Court of unauthorised modification of computer material.
But Mr Caffrey, of Fairlane, Shaftesbury, Dorset, was found not guilty by a jury on Friday.
Speaking after the verdict, he said he was "very angry" at the way he was "interpreted" and "treated" by the police.
Outside the court his barrister, Iain Ross, said: "He wishes to say that this ordeal has been a dark cloud hanging over him for the last two years.
"He had always insisted he was not guilty and that he was a victim of a criminal act rather than being a criminal himself."
During the trial it was claimed Mr Caffrey had perpetrated a complex crime, involving computer h*, identity theft and fraudulent financial-market trading.
Attack script
Paul Addison prosecuting, told the jury Mr Caffrey hacked into the computer server at the port in order to target a female chatroom user called Bokkie, following an argument.
It was said in court they argued over anti-US remarks she had made.
I have hacked into computers legally for friends to test their server security because they asked me to but never illegally
Doubts cast over future hacker cases
Mr Caffrey, who suffers from a form of autism called Asperger's Syndrome, was said to be in love with an American girl called Jessica.
The court was told he named his computer after her and dedicated his "attack script" to her.
The attack saw scheduling computer systems at the port bombarded with thousands of electronic messages on 20 September, 2001.
It froze the port's web service, which contained vital data for shipping, mooring companies and support firms responsible for helping ships navigate in and out of the harbour.
Hackers and cr*ckers
An investigation by US authorities traced the computer's internet provider number to a computer at Mr Caffrey's home.
But the teenager claimed an unidentified third party had planted the instructions for the attack script on his website without his knowledge.
He also criticised the authorities for not uncovering the virus during their investigation.
On the final day of the trial, Mr Caffrey admitted being part of a group of hackers called Allied Haxor Elite, but denied he had ever illegally hacked into a computer.
The teenager told the court that hackers operated legally, but that people who entered computer systems illegally were known as " cr*ckers".
He said: "I have hacked into computers legally for friends to test their server security because they asked me to but never illegally."
BBC News - news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/dorset/3197446.stm
It's so hard to think this is someone many people know and relied on for connection to MSN's chat service... and so close to home, too...
) he has made lots of things for msn like msn kit n other unreleased projects. If you would like to chat 2 him ya mite catch him in any of cyborgs rooms. on digitalfuse server.