A 24-year-old Briton has been given a suspended prison sentence for breaking into a Microsoft network where he had access to pre-release versions of Windows 10. He also gave others access and then broke into Nintendo’s networks.
According to The Verge, the man managed to access Microsoft’s internal servers in January 2017 via a stolen username and password. He managed to maintain remote access for three weeks via a web shell, during which time he looted, among other things, unreleased versions of Windows. In total, the Brit stole 43,000 files from the servers.
He also gave others access to the servers through an irc chat room, including the administrator of BuildFeed, a Windows build tracker known for providing accurate information about upcoming versions of the OS. The site is now closed. According to the administrator, this is due to pressure from Microsoft that wouldn’t have been there “if I hadn’t made mistakes.”
When the perpetrator of the initial intrusion started uploading malware to Microsoft’s server in June 2017, he was arrested. It turned out to be a Malwarebytes employee who had previously played a role in the VTech server break-in, in which he stole the personal data of more than five million customers of that company.
The Briton was released on bail but went wrong again in March 2018. He broke into Nintendo servers where the game company stores software for upcoming games. In this burglary, the perpetrator obtained 2365 usernames and passwords. In May 2018, Nintendo discovered the crack. The Japanese game company estimates that the damage is between 1.06 and 1.63 million euros.
The perpetrator was sentenced to 15 months in prison and 18 months probation on Thursday. That means he is no longer being detained, probably because of the time he has already spent in custody. The penalty was low due to personal circumstances. The man has autism and face blindness which, according to the judge, would make him suffer “disproportionately” during a time in prison. The judge also considered that the case has a major impact on the man’s family. For example, the mother has given up her job to ensure that her son improves his life.