'Nerd' prosecuted for Aussie hack

The security industry is praising the Australian authorities for successfully pursuing the prosecution of self confessed 'nerd' and cyber-criminal Stephen Dendtler.

Dendtler, 22, hacked into one of Australia's largest ISPs, OptusNet, and gained access to 435,000 customer records and passwords. However, at a hearing in April he escaped without punishment - despite pleading guilty and the charges being proven.

Now, on appeal, the authorities have finally 'got their man' and some within the security industry - concerned about what message a lack of sentencing sends out to other would-be hackers - are claiming "better late than never".

Dendtler was put on a two-year good behaviour bond and handed a $4,000 fine late last week.

Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos Anti-Virus, said: "Hacking is a crime and there is no point having penalties against crimes like this if the courts are not prepared to sentence those who are found guilty. Even though it is agreed that Dendtler did not use his access to the data for his financial advantage, it is still a crime to gain unauthorised access to such material."

At his hearing, Judge Justice McGuire criticised Dendtler for discussing his actions and the methods he had used with others.