Scottish Hacker Gets 18 Months Prison Sentence

Matthew Anderson who pleaded guilty to using his security firm, Optom Security, as a front for the distribution of malicious software was sentenced to 18 months in prison for spamming out malware and stealing data.

The conviction of the 33-year-old Scot from Drummuir, Aberdeenshire, has brought to an end an investigation first launched four years ago. According to the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), Anderson was part of a crime ring that targeted hundreds of UK businesses with malware.

Emails Laced With Malware

The conspiracy was operated by members of a cyber-crew called ‘m00p’ that, in 2005, started sending out millions of emails laced with malware, authorities said.

It was Anderson’s job to manage the operation by composing the emails and distributing them with virus attachments, police said. The malware allowed him to access private data stored on computers without the knowledge of the computer’s owner, according to police.

“This organised online criminal network infected huge numbers of computers around the world, especially targeting UK businesses and individuals,” said detective constable Bob Burls, from the MPS Central e-Crime Unit, in a statement. “Matthew Anderson methodically exploited computer users not only for his own financial gain but also violating their privacy. They used sophisticated computer code to commit their crimes.”

The investigation resulted in the arrests of three men, including Anderson, on June 27, 2006. No charges were filed against one who lived in Suffolk while the other, based in Finland, pleaded guilty in 2008, according to reports. A number of computers were seized at residential addresses in both countries in addition to the suspects’ servers as part of the investigation, the police stated.

Stolen Data Found On Servers

When online, Anderson used the profile names of ‘aobuluz’ and ‘warpigs’, authorities said, and operated his illegal business behind the front of Optom, his online company that dealt in security software. Among the evidence police found were screenshots on Anderson’s computers taken from other people’s webcams as well as copies of wills, medical reports, password lists and other content, police said.

“The Internet means criminals have increased opportunities to commit crime internationally, however I’d like to reassure the public that the international law enforcement and antivirus companies response is increasingly sophisticated,” Burls said. “As this case shows, criminals can’t hide online and are being held to account for their actions. A complex investigation like this demonstrates what international co-operation can achieve.”