Story by
Matthew Panzarino
Matthew Panzarino was Managing Editor at TNW. He's no longer with the company, but you can follow him on Twitter. Matthew Panzarino was Managing Editor at TNW. He's no longer with the company, but you can follow him on Twitter.
The hacker that gained access to the AT&T iPad subscriber database has pled guilty to the charges brought against him, reports Reuters. The hacker had illegally gained access to an AT&T database and stolen the subscriber information of 120,000 iPad users on the network.
Daniel Spitier, 26, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of identity theft Thursday. Spitier did not act alone and his co-defendant Andrew Auernheimer is also charged. The two used a brute force attack to extract data about iPad users from AT&T’s servers.
Reuters reports that the defendants were associated with Goatse Security, a group of “internet trolls” that try to disrupt online services.
A lawyer representing Spitier said that her client’s goal was to “benefit the public by exploiting a security breach that, if left unaddressed, could have led to far more serious consequences.”
The FBI pressed criminal charges against the hackers in January of this year. Each of the counts carries a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Spitier’s sentencing is set for September 28. Aurenheimer’s case is still pending.
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.
