Man Admits To Hacking USC's Application System

Shakil published 06 Sep 2006, 04:51 in main - 191 views

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A computer security expert admitted in court Tuesday that he hacked into USC's application system, and that he accessed the personal information -- including Social Security numbers -- of would-be students.

Eric McCarty, a 24-year-old San Diego resident, indicated he was unhappy with USC for not admitting him to the university, according to court papers.

McCarty entered a guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson to a felony count of accessing a protected computer without authorization. He is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 4, when his plea bargain recommends that he receive six months of home detention.

McCarty's lawyer could not be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon. In addition to Social Security numbers, the records McCarty downloaded included names, addresses, dates of birth, and the applicants' passwords to the USC site, according to the government.

After seizing McCarty's home computers, federal investigators found files containing such data from seven people, prosecutors said.

News source: NBC 4

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