UK Hacker Jailed for Attack on Liberian Telecoms Firm

A British computer hacker has been sentenced to 32 months in prison for a cyberattack that knocked out telecommunications services in Liberia.

Daniel Kaye was paid by an employee of a rival firm to launch a distributed denial of service attack on Liberian phone and internet provider Lonestar.

Britain's National Crime Agency says the attack overwhelmed Lonestar's computer network, disabled internet access across the West African country and cost the company tens of millions of dollars.

The 30-year-old Kaye pleaded guilty last month to two offenses under the Computer Misuse Act and one charge of possessing criminal property.

Mike Hulett of the crime agency's National Cyber Crime Unit called Kaye "a highly skilled and capable hacker-for-hire."

Judge Alexander Milne handed down a prison sentence Friday at London's Blackfriars Crown Court.

Original author: Associated Press