2 Men Charged for Hacking Into 120,000 iPads
2 Men Charged for Hacking Into 120,000 iPads
Two men were charged with stealing personal data and e-mail addresses of about 120,000 Apple iPad users, according to a complaint filed in federal court in Newark, N.J.
The men took the information “for the express purpose of causing monetary and reputational damage to AT&T and monetary and reputational benefits” to them, the FBI complaint read.
Daniel Spitler, 26, of San Francisco and Andrew Auernheimer, 25, of Fayetteville, Ark., are charged with conspiracy to access a computer without authorization and fraud in connection with personal information. They could face up to five years in prison on each count.
“Hacking is not a competitive sport and security breaches are not a game,” U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said at a news conference. “It’s like what people might perceive as stealing for a joyride. It can start out looking like a prank, but it can quickly become more malicious.”
Shortly following the security breach, AT&T issued an apology on June 14 to iPad 3G tablet users whose e-mail addresses were taken during the security breach. The stolen e-mail addresses included some high profile public officials, including former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and ABC News Anchor Diane Sawyer.