A former Yahoo software engineer pled guilty in federal court in San Jose, Calif. On Monday to hacking users’ accounts with the intent of finding nude pictures and videos.
Reyes Daniel Ruiz pled guilty to hacking approximately 6,000 Yahoo accounts, and gaining access to users’ Google, iCloud, Facebook, and Dropbox accounts as well, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice. Ruiz targeted younger women in addition to friends and colleagues by cracking their Yahoo passwords, the Justice Department says.
Once the Yahoo accounts were compromised, Ruiz accessed the users’ other accounts across various platforms, storing the images and videos on his personal computer and hard drive, which he later destroyed, the DOJ says. Ruiz was fired from Yahoo for “suspicious activity” on his accounts, and the FBI later launched an investigation which uncovered the explicit images and video.
It’s unclear whether other Yahoo employees could exploit similar vulnerabilities in the system. Coins2Day reached out to Yahoo for additional information and comment, but did not receive an immediate response.
Ruiz was charged with interception of a wire communication and computer intrusion, which he pled guilty to. He faces up to five years in prison for the computer intrusion charge, along with a $250,000 fine and restitution. He is currently released on a $200,000 bond and is expected to be sentenced in February.
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