Former UMaine Student Charged With Hacking Hundreds of Student Email Accounts
Quick Facts
- Date: 11/13/2008
- Institution: University of Maine
- Type of Incident: Penetration
- Number Affected: 200
- Source: ESI
- Abstract Source: WCSH6, Bangor Daily News
Abstract
The University of Maine announced the arrest of a former student charged with illegally accessing hundreds of student email accounts. Following a three week investigation by the University of Maine campus police, the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Task Force and the United States Secrete Service charged former UMaine business student James Wieland with one count of aggravated criminal invasion of computer privacy. The university believes that Wieland is responsible for distributing a downloadable game through email that contained a trojan key logging program. Wieland allegedly sent the email to over 1,000 student email address and had gained access to over 200 accounts as a result. The university became aware of the incident after two students received emails from each other while riding on an airplane together. It is not known why Wieland wanted access to these accounts.
