AT&T, iPad Hacker Pleads Guilty

He admits role in breach that exposed 120,000 users
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 23, 2011 2:33 PM CDT
Hacker Daniel Spitler Pleads Guilty in AT&T, iPad Attack
Daniel Spitler, 26, of San Francisco, leaves the U.S. District Court in Newark, N.J., on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2011.   (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

A hacker who broke into AT&T's servers last year and helped steal information on iPad users got some legal comeuppance today, reports PC World. Daniel Spitler, 26, pleaded guilty to identify theft and conspiracy to gain unauthorized access to computers—felonies that could bring up to 10 years in jail. Spitler's plea deal, however, recommends a sentence of 1 year to 18 months.

Another man arrested in the case, Andrew Auernheimer, is working on his own plea deal. Both are associated with the hacking group Goatse Securities, which said it conducted the attack only to bring attention to lax AT&T security. That it did: Among the 120,000 iPad users whose personal info got compromised were Rahm Emanuel and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. (More AT&T stories.)

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