BOSTON (February 23, 2000 1:33 p.m. EST

A 28-year-old man was charged Wednesday with using his home computer to penetrate the computer systems of NASA and the Pentagon, federal officials said.

Ikenna Iffih is charged with illegally gaining access to the computer files of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Pentagon and other government agencies between April and August, 1999, as well as illegally copying some files and destroying others, the prosecutors said.

According to U.S. attorney Donald Stern, "the defendant gained illegal access to several computers, either causing substantial business loss, defacing a Web page with hacker graphics, copying personal information or, in the case of a NASA computer, effectively seizing control."

The suspect is also accused of accessing the computers of a university and an Internet access server and causing major damage to their files.

If found guilty, Iffih could face up to ten years in prison and $250,000 in fines.

http://www.nandotimes.com

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), February 23, 2000

Answers

A better link for this story:

http://www.nandotimes.com/technology/story/0,1643,500172150 -500222087-501058519-0,00.html

-- Jen Bunker (jen@bunkergroup.com), February 23, 2000.

That was my link of choice but my computer always locks up when I scroll on nandotimes. Only one that does.

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), February 23, 2000.

NP Martin! I thought since I had it already for my site that I'd share.

Odd thing about the Nando turfing you tho...

-- Jen Bunker (jen@bunkergroup.com), February 23, 2000.

Another story about hacker.

Alleged Military Hacker Arrested Hacker Charged With Breaking Into Military, NASA Computers

Ikenna Iffih was charged in federal court in Boston with three counts of hacking into NASA and Defense Department computers. (Internet Homepage/AP Photo) By Martin Finucane The Associated Press B O S T O N, Feb. 24  A computer science student has been accused of a coast to coast hacking spree of military and government networks that prosecutors said gave him control of a NASA computer system. Ikenna Iffih, 28, a student at Northeastern Universitys College of Computer Science, was charged Wednesday with three counts related to hacking that carry up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. All in all, the defendant used his home computer to leave a trail of cybercrime from coast to coast, U.S. Attorney Donald Stern said in a statement. The defendant gained illegal access ... either causing substantial business loss, defacing a Web page with hacker graphics, copying personal information or, in the case of a NASA computer, effectively seizing control, Stern said. No Security Breach Prosecutors said there was no disruption to the nations defenses, no meddling with satellite control and no improper use of private information. Iffihs attorney didnt return a message seeking comment Wednesday. Iffihs telephone number is unlisted. Last spring and summer, government and military Web sites were attacked by vandals who said they were retaliating over FBI raids of several prominent hackers, including one who ultimately pleaded guilty to breaking into the White House computers. The Interior Department Web site was hit in May by a hacker known as DigiAlmty, who wrote: Its our turn to hit them where it hurts ... Well keep hitting them till they get down on their knees and beg. Iffih was charged with vandalizing the Interior Department site, but prosecutors did not say for certain whether they believe he is DigiAlmty. In a search of Iffihs home in Boston last fall, authorities said they found a computer printout containing the user name DigiAlmty. Steve Schroeder, a federal prosecutor in Seattle, said there were indications that Iffih might be DigiAlmty, but he wouldnt elaborate.

Previously Charged Iffih was charged in Seattle last August with a computer attack on Zebra Marketing Online Services, an Internet service provider located in Bainbridge Island, Wash. Prosecutors said the company suffered a significant loss of business. That allegation was included in the new charges announced Wednesday, as federal prosecutors expanded the case to include the attacks on the government computers. Among those systems: a Defense Logistics Agency computer in Ohio and a National Aeronautics and Space Administration computer at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. Prosecutors said Iffih also obtained unauthorized access to Northeastern computers and copied private information about students, faculty and alumni. Northeastern spokeswoman Janet Hookailo said the school has been cooperating with investigators since last fall.

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/tech/DailyNews/govthacker000224.html

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), February 24, 2000.