back to article Brit behind Titanium Stresser DDoS malware sent to chokey

A Hertfordshire man has been jailed for two years after netting nearly £400,000 from the malware he wrote as a 15-year-old student. Adam Mudd, now 20, was sentenced to two years in a young offenders’ institute this afternoon. He had pleaded guilty to two charges under the Computer Misuse Act and one charge of concealing …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    And the <£400k? What happens to that?

    1. Trigonoceps occipitalis

      One assumes a Proceeds of Crime application. This will be judged on civil levels of proof, ie. balance of probabilities, so a successful appeal may not prevent Mudd having to pay up.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        @ Trigonoceps occipitalis

        The POCA confiscation will have absolutely no relation to proof or probabilities. All his traceable income for the period of the crime will be assumed to be the result of the crime and confiscated. Further, even if there is little or no proof the sum will be 'he charged up to X per attack' and 'he could have made as many as Y attacks'. X x Y = £kerching, hand it over please.

        POCA is as unfair as it gets. Yes he's a criminal, yes he deserves to have the proceeds of the crime confiscated even if they are already spent. That does not mean he should be fiscally arse raped.

  2. gypsythief
    Joke

    Well,

    his name is mudd!

  3. Dave Harvey

    At least he has been properly and fairly convicted and sentenced under UK law

    I wonder whether that would have happened if the good old US of A had pointed out that some of the targets were the other side of the pond, and had asked for him to be extradited to serve 2000 years or whatever other ridiculous figure they use to threaten foreigners into a guilty plea bargain.

    1. Stevie

      Re: At least he has been properly and fairly convicted and sentenced under UK law

      Straw man.

      I suspect that were he to have walked through a military server you'd be right though.

  4. tedleaf

    Try pulling a 400k bank job and see if you walk away with a poxy year in a holiday camp..

    If this is meant to send a message to others,they must be kissing themselves laughing..

    1. Dave Harvey

      I can think of plenty of bankers who have pulled off "inside" bank jobs over the last decade much larger than this who have barely received a slap on the wrist!

      Of course, if by "bank job" you mean a heist with threats or actual physical violence, then I think we'd all agree with you.

    2. 78910

      You're right - only it's worse than the 400k. This report states one single company spent 6 million trying to defend or recover from the attacks. So the damages he and his 'clients' caused far outweigh the paltry 400k he was paid. It's like pulling a 6 million pound bank job or worse.

  5. FlamingDeath Silver badge
    Holmes

    Mistaken character

    I think they're confusing Autism with Sociopathy

    1. veti Silver badge

      Re: Mistaken character

      Autism can cause similar behaviour. But it's not the same thing. If an autistic person can be persuaded to see that what they did was wrong, they'll feel genuine remorse.

      The problem is that they don't see it naturally, they need to have it spelled out to them, and too often no-one bothers to do that.

  6. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

    20 years old (now) Asbergers AND autism

    ....and he gets a year max inside a young offenders place?

    Considering the damage and costs he's caused, not to mention his profit, he's getting of incredibly lightly.

    This one where I'd expect the CPS to appeal the sentence as too lenient.

    1. astrax

      Re: 20 years old (now) Asbergers AND autism

      Just a quick fact - Aspergers is on the Autistic spectrum, they are not separate conditions per se. Probably going to get a lot of down votes here, but while I think his actions are inexcusable and worthy of punishment, I'm not sure throwing the book at him is proportional to the crime. There are several extenuating factors in this case, most notably his Aspergers that ultimately changes the outlook of the case. If you knew what that condition entails, you probably would shift your opinion (albeit slightly).

      I've seen con men who swindled OAPs out of their life savings who got less time than this young man. I've seen a person who took their eyes off the road for an entire 16 seconds whilst driving an articulated lorry (who ended up killing someone) get LESS time than this guy. Someone mentioned Bankers earlier...another prime example. I'm not saying he should get less because those cases were punished too leniently, I'm saying that due proportion is key in sentencing. I really do not understand why this guy should be made an example of (in consideration of all factors).

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "has been utilising that talent for personal gain at the expense of others"

    Isn't that the definition of all paid employment?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      I think paid employment is supposed to be a quid pro quo basis!

      1. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

        "I think paid employment is supposed to be a quid pro quo basis!"

        Quite. As long as they will pretend to pay me, I will pretend to work.

    2. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

      "has been utilising that talent for personal gain at the expense of others"

      Isn't that the definition of all paid employment?

      No, that would be "utilising the talent of others for personal gain".

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Sounds like...

    This chap may have found himself in this situation due to being vulnerable and easy to manipulate.

    Feeling an overwhelming desire to impress others and stopping at nothing to do so is very much a common part of autism.

    I have a mildly autistic nephew and he has similar tendencies. He is approximately the same age as well.

    I think this lad may have been hit a bit hard here. Clearly an example is being made. Especially given there appears to be no mention of the fact he probably paid no tax on those earnings and likely holds a lot of bitcoin if he operated on the darknet.

    I also suspect this may be a message to his customers more than anything. No doubt they are being investigated now.

    1. 78910

      Re: Sounds like...

      Did you not read the bit about the millions of pounds of costs incurred because of him and this software?

      How would you feel if that were your company forced to spend 6million?

  9. tedleaf

    In the judges summing up he says this is meant to be a warning to others,but 12 months at his local holiday farm is hardly going to deter anyone..

    Anyone else involved in this kind of thing is just laughing,all except laurie love,who's little bum hole must be quivering,because if the tanks ever do get him,then they really will use him as a signal case and hang him out to dry for a very long time,which is what all these little shits deserve..

    Perhaps one of the firm's who got hit by muff could start a private prosecution over their losses..

    Don't do the crime if you can't do the time..

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