New York man pleads guilty to hacking into NASA computers

[William Knowles <wk () C4I ORG>]

http://www.techserver.com/noframes/story/0,2294,500286185-500451935-502948010-0,00.html

The Associated Press

NEW YORK (December 3, 2000 8:50 a.m. EST http://www.nandotimes.com) -
A 20-year-old man pleaded guilty Friday to hacking into computers at a
NASA lab that launches unmanned space exploration missions.

Raymond Torricelli of New Rochelle said he hacked into two NASA
computers in 1998 to steal user names and passwords and gain access to
other systems. He also said he set up a chat room to send people to a
pornography site that paid him 18 cents for each customer he referred.

"As a hacker, I never maliciously intended to damage the computers
that I entered," he said.

He entered the guilty plea Friday. Under a plea bargain, prosecutors
will seek a prison term of eight to 14 months at sentencing on March
7.

He could have faced 27 years in prison and been fined $950,000.

The two NASA computers, which help launch robotic spacecraft, were at
the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

Torricelli also admitted hacking into a San Jose State University
computer system in California to illegally gain access to other
computer networks. He also said he stole more than 15 credit card
numbers online.

NASA said security has been improved at the Pasadena laboratory.


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