Teen Faces Computer Trespass Charges Mead Boy Accused Of Hacking Into Local Computer Networks

A hacker cost Spokane Falls Community College $2,000 in computer system damage control.

A 17-year-old Mead boy is accused of breaking into the computer systems of the community college and two Spokane Internet access companies: Internet On-Ramp and Eager Beaver/Internet Expressway.

The teenager is charged with three felony counts of computer trespass. He’s scheduled for trial in juvenile court in March.

“We can’t just turn our heads to say boys will be boys,” said Sheryl Stover, a co-owner of Internet OnRamp. “The Internet is supposed to be a community and it violates the sense of community.”

As a result of the November break-in, the community college has rebuilt a computer system, which is the site of its student and faculty e-mail accounts.

“This really is a serious crime even though it’s hard for people to understand how it happens,” said Kathy Hjortedal-Powell, a manager of the college’s Computer Resource Center. “It could have been much worse.”

Once in the Spokane Falls system, the teen, who took a computer course at the college, allegedly deleted every reference to his name. He may have read the e-mail of other students and faculty and could have created other “backdoors” into the system.

To ensure that the hacker couldn’t break in again, the college hired a consultant to secure the computer system.

From the college’s system, the youth apparently would hack into other systems, such as Eager Beaver/ Internet Expressway.

Because of the eight-minute breakin, Internet On-Ramp shut down its system and asked customers to call and change their personal passwords before they were allowed to resume their accounts.

“It’s become an inconvenience to all of our customers,” she said.

The 17-year-old is allowed to remain at home with his parents as long as he doesn’t use a computer with Internet access.

The teenager also was charged last year with attempted burglary of US West Communications in Spokane.

In a brief interview, the boy’s father said he believes his son is wrongly accused.

“It’s all allegation,” he said. “I think they’ve got the wrong person.”

, DataTimes