Truemors
CBC Newsworld are saying this may be the biggest computer hacking ring in history, it is said the alleged hackers may have controlled up to a million computers worldwide.
Quebec police bust alleged computer hacker ringCanwest News ServicePublished: Wednesday, February 20MONTREAL - Sixteen people were arrested including minors Wednesday morning following raids on an alleged computer hacker ring in about a dozen cities around the province, according to Quebec's provincial police.
Some of the suspects were to appear in court Wednesday while others were released with the promise to appear and another individual was being sought by investigators, said Frederic Gaudreau of the Surete du Quebec, the provincial police force.
The alleged pirates were able to control their victims' computers at a distance and used them to commit crimes such as stealing communications, personal ID and data theft, he explained. Thousands of computers were manipulated in the process, unbeknownst to their owners.var addthis_pub = 'canada.com';
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}The suspects face charges for illegal use of computers, using computers to commit computer data fraud. They could face up to 10 years in jail for the offences. More charges could follow.
The RCMP assisted the Quebec police in the bust, Gaudreau said.
The operation was a reminder that companies and government institutions should be aware of risks to their computers systems, he added. Individuals should also keep their computer anti-virus and firewall protection up to date to avoid this sort of attack, he stressed.
With files from Canwest News Service
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