A Melbourne, Australia-based teenage hacker reportedly broke into Apple’s corporate network and was able to download almost 90GB of secure files. He was also able to access customer accounts using the information he obtained before he was caught. Court proceedings cited in a new report by The Age revealed this bizarre hack.
The teenager’s name hasn’t been released for legal reasons but he reportedly pleaded guilty. He claimed to be an Apple fan who wished to be working for the Cupertino, California company.
Apple had informed the FBI last year. The bureau worked with Australian authorities to locate the hacker. Since Apple was “very sensitive about publicity,” according to a prosecutor, it kept the case out of the media successfully until the proceedings in court earlier this week.
There aren’t a lot of details available about the hack. It’s unclear how the teenager managed to hack into Apple’s corporate network and what type of accounts and information he was able to steal. It’s also unclear if this breach was limited to Australia or was spread worldwide.
When authorities raided the teenager’s home last year, they found the files in a folder named “hacky hack hack” on his computer. Two Apple laptops were seized and it the authorities found that possessed “authorized keys” to get into Apple’s systems.
It’s also not known if the teenager provided the data to other parties. It’s said that he did talk about the hack with others on WhatsApp but the extent of those conversations is not known.
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