Brit anti-terror hotline hacker teen pleads guilty

A teenage computer crook faces prison after admitting hacking offences, including breaking into former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's electronic address and phone book. Junaid Hussain, 18, of Birmingham, swiped the sensitive information after unlawfully accessing a GMail account used by Katie Kay, a Blair aide. The hacker …

[Anonymous Coward]

LOLz and the real world

If guilty, the alleged hacktivist will soon discover that prison sheets are rough and there aint no internet.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: LOLz and the real world

I wouldn't be surprised if there was! Prisons have moved on a lot from the days of Ronny Barker's Porridge.

Having your own TV seems to be a basic human right these days.

[Jediben]

What, no assburgers?!

Seems to have forgotten to play the FOTM defence!

[My Alter Ego]

..said to have prevented legitimate callers..

*Cough* bollox *cough*

Are those the callers who are advised to call in because their neighbours keep their curtains closed or go away from home "without reason"?

Still, you've go to be pretty fucking stupid to do something like this guy.

[dotdavid]

Re: ..said to have prevented legitimate callers..

A typical call;

Operator: Anti-terror hotline, how can we help?

Caller: I'm terrified.

Operator: Um, OK. Can you explain the situation to us.

Caller: Sure, we're in an ad break. There's this girl, she's crawling out of the TV and...

Operator: Madam, can I ask - are you by any chance watching The Ring

Caller: Well, yes. But it's very scary.

Operator: I'm afraid this service is only for reporting genuine terror threats. If you have any information about a terror threat...

Caller: Well the TV guide says they'll be showing the sequel next week - is that a threat?

Operator: I'm afraid not Madam. Thanks for your call, goodbye.

[simlb]

Re: ..said to have prevented legitimate callers..

"Caller: Well the TV guide says they'll be showing the sequel next week - is that a threat?"

Only if it's that paragon of misery called EastEnders...

[LinkOfHyrule]

Re: ..said to have prevented legitimate callers..

It aint actually run by the feds - its the NHS - it's an automatic six month sectioning for dialling with a non prank call - it works too. I mean seriously, you'd have to be bat-shit crazy to call it. Meanwhile, if someone who isn't a complete menace to society happens to sport a bit of the old terrorism in action, they'd be sensible enough to call 999.

[LinkOfHyrule]

Re: ..said to have prevented legitimate callers..

I forgot to ad me Joke Alert icon - heaven forbid someone takes it seriously, such as a Daily Mail journalist!

[kain preacher]

Re: ..said to have prevented legitimate callers..

Hey Read stories about people this side of the pond calling 911 for cold food. They really are that thick. It's not that there are crazy but seemed to lack certain cognitive abilities. Likes don't call 911 repeatedly. cause you don't like your hamburger

[Cameron Colley]

Re: ..said to have prevented legitimate callers..

It's the lizzards coming from the TV you ought to worry about. Well, that and the screaming, skinny effigy of a Cornish electro-geek.

[LinkOfHyrule]

Cornish electro-geek

He's a House DJ aint he? Or does he play Dubstep now?

[Cameron Colley]

Re: Cornish electro-geek

According to a couple of articles he's a submarine captain. I do wonder though if he's just bought a nuclear one so he can use the generator to power his GX1.

[Graham Marsden]

Re: ..said to have prevented legitimate callers..

But there could have been people phoning about suspicious characters taking photographs of London landmarks or in Underground stations which obviously means they're planning a terrorist attack or maybe it was someone buying a suspiciously large number of Castor Oil beans (obviously going to make Ricin) or maybe...

... excuse me the Nurse says it's time for my medicine....

[KnucklesTheDog]

Re: ..said to have prevented legitimate callers..

Yes, I was wondering exactly how long did he tie up the line for legitimate callers with 100 automated calls? Are people really calling this that often? Couldn't they have just rung back a bit later in the day? Maybe if the unspecified acts of terror were an immediate concern they should have been dialling 999 instead?

[Anonymous Coward]

Surprising

He prevented terrorist reports, I'm honestly shocked the USA haven't asked to extradite him yet. After all, by preventing legitimate callers to a UK helpline he's clearly assisting the global terrorist threat out to get the united states.

[kain preacher]

Re: Surprising

Different president. If it of had been Dub ya he would of been smiling for the camera of a drone.

[Anonymous Coward]

I wonder how they caught him?

Do you think it was* one of the black boxes that are going to be installed into every ISP by the Home Office? Time travel is one of their magical powers, after all.

* Sorry if my time travel grammar is wrong here.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: I wonder how they caught him?

He used his twitter account a lot to post about personal stuff, things that could be identified to him.

When he is doing his prank calling he is using skype, I bet that wasn't proxied. Also I bet he wasn't proxied on any of his online accounts.

Kids think they are untouchable.

[Sir Barry]

Hussain (aka "PriCK")

There, fixed it for ya

[Ralph B]

S'funny

I read the original as: Hussain (aka "ThiCK")

[Jim 59]

Cue the balls

Expect a write up in Saturday's Grauniad which will describe this chap along the lines of a brave young computer genius, a revolutionary to be admired even if he is a bit misguided. Use a computer in your crime and it is all forgiven and romanticised.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Cue the balls

You seem to be confused. Use a computer in a crime and a trivial offence that ought to get a caution at most becomes worthy of porridge.

[Jim 59]

Cue the balls

Let's wait until Saturday

[Anonymous Coward]

An educational opportunity

A minimum of five years in prison should be the basis for a good educational opportunity to these not so anonymous socially challenged people who are unable to function properly in the real world.

[Goldmember]

Re: An educational opportunity

Five years? Seriously? You only get between four and five for manslaughter, how is five for 'hacking' a Gmail account and spamming a scaremongering hotline appropriate? He's an idiot, yes. But not a hardened criminal.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: An educational opportunity

Agreed the five years is pretty easy on this perp but since he's young and dumb, five will do for now. Manslaughter should be increased to 10 years.

[Anonymous Coward]

So contact lists in the public means risk to your safty then?

So contact lists in the public means risk to your safty then? Becasue if thats the case then maybe MP's can start taking spam seriously and stamp on it. Not like its not a revenue stream of fines they could cash in nicely from.

Paris because there all aspiring.