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Man Charged With Hacking USC, Mom Says Intentions Were Good
Chris Crum
Staff Writer
2006-04-21
 Insider Reports RSS Feed
24-year-old Eric McCarty has been charged with hacking into the online application system of the University of Southern California (USC).
McCarty allegedly used his hacking skills to steal personal data related to the university's applicants. AP reports:
Last June, prosecutors say he hacked into a USC database containing records on more than 275,000 applicants since 1997, saving names, passwords and social security numbers for seven applicants on his home computer.
He then allegedly reported the computer attack to a Web site, securityfocus.com, using the e-mail account "ihackedusc@gmail.com." The site later told USC officials of the security flaw.
McCarty's mother says that he was testing the University's security to help the school, but authorities are not buying that one.
McCarty, who is due to appear in Los Angeles District Court on April 28, may face up to 10 years in prison.
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About the Author:
Chris Crum is a staff writer for SecurityProNews and WebProNews.
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