A YOUNG BOY IN COURT CHARGED WITH CYBER-ATTACKS

A young boy has appeared in court charged with carrying out cyber-attacks on websites across the world (This includes, Asia Africa, Europe and other parts of the world) he was also charged with sending bomb hoaxes to US airlines.

The boy, aged 14 and 15 when the alleged offences took place, sat with his parents at Plymouth youth court in Devon for a brief first appearance.

He denied three charges under section three of the Computer Misuse Act relating to alleged distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks on websites in Europe, North America, Africa and Asia. DDoS attacks involve overwhelming a website with traffic, often taking it offline.

He also denied two offences under section 51 of the Criminal Law Act concerning bomb hoaxes allegedly made to airlines in North America via social media.

The alleged cyber-attacks are said to have taken place between October 2014 and January 2015. It is claimed the bomb hoaxes were made in February 2015. The boy, who cannot be named, is now 16.

His lawyer, Kenneth Papenfus, requested an adjournment, saying: “This is a complex case.” He said he would need the help of a computer expert and told the court: “I don’t understand the statements served on me. I need expert intervention to decipher the statements served on me.”

WAHALIFU MTANDAO WATIKISA ANGA YA WANAUSALAMA MITANDAO

Wanausalama mtandao kote duniani walikamilisha tukio muhimu sana linalofanyika kila mwezi Oktoba (Cybersecurity Awareness Month) lenye dhamira ya kukuza uelewa wa matumizi salama ya mitandao huku ikiaminika kupitia tukio hilo uhalifu mtandao unaweza kupunguzwa kwa asilimia kubwa. Mataifa mengi yakiwa na mafanikio makubwa kutokana na hili ambapo Tanzania pia kupitia baadhi ya Makampuni  ilipata kushiriki.

Wakati bado mafanikio mbali mbali yakijadiliwa wahalifu mtandao wamegundulika kuja na uhalifu unaotafsiriwa kuwa ni wa kihistoria na uliofanyika kwa ubunifu na umahiri wa hali ya juu ambapo wahalifu mtandao wamefanikiwa kusambaza kirusi aina ya ModPOS kinacho athiri mashine zinazotumika kukamilisha miamala wakati wa manunuzi.

Kirusi cha ModPOS, kimegundulika Nchini Marekani wakati wa sherehe za “Thanks Giving” ambapo watu wengi hufanya manunuzi. Kirusi hicho Kimekua kikifanikisha upotevu mkubwa wa pesa wakati wa miamala.

Mara baada ya ugunduzi huo wa ModPOS, mijadala kupitia mtandao ilianza baina ya wanausalama mitandao ili kuweza kufanikisha mambo makubwa matatu. Moja ni kuweza kugundua chanzo na jinsi ilivyo fanikishwa kuwepo bila kugundulika (Inaaminika kimedumu muda – Taarifa ambazo bado zinafatiliwa) Pili, Ilikua ni kutafuta suluhu ya kirusi hicho ili kiweze kuondolewa na Tatu, ni kupanga namna ya kukuza uelewa wa namna ya kujikinga na janga hili la ModPOS.