Two hackers have been imprisoned for illegally accessing Nintendo and Microsoft’s internal servers.
A UK court has found 24-year-old Zammis Clark guilty after he accessed a Microsoft server using an internal username and password back in early 2017 [via The Verge].
Clark used web shells to remotely access, search, upload and download from Microsoft’s private network, and is believed to have stolen approximately 43,000 files in total.
Clark was also sentenced for sharing the server access, which allowed others across the globe to gain their own access to Microsoft’s information.
Thomas Hounsell, who was caught accessing the servers through Clark’s leaks, was sentenced alongside him.
While on bail for his crimes, Clark then hacked into Nintendo’s network despite the threat of the long arm of the law. Again he came away with stolen usernames and passwords.
It’s believed that Clark’s efforts each cost Nintendo and Microsoft up to $2 million in damages.
CVP of customer security and trust at Microsoft said: “Today’s action by the Courts in the UK represents an important step,
“Stronger internet security not only requires strong technical capability but the willingness to acknowledge issues publicly and refer them to law enforcement.
“No company is immune from cybercrime. No customer data was accessed, and we’re confident in the integrity of our software and systems. We have comprehensive measures in place to prevent, detect, and respond to attacks.”
Nintendo also issued a statement, saying: “Nintendo is committed to protecting its intellectual property and consistently evaluates and updates its data protection and security protocols accordingly.
“However, despite our ongoing efforts, we discovered that our corporate servers were illegally accessed last year. Though no consumer data was accessed as part of this incident, we continue to hold the protection of both our consumers’ data and our intellectual property as a top priority in our data management operations.”
The London-based court has sentenced Clark to 15 months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months. Hounsell received a slightly lesser sentence of six months in prison, again suspended for 18 months. Hounsell will also have to complete 100 hours of community service.
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