A Texan is accused of breaking into Yale University's computer system from home
NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- A Texan is accused of breaking into Yale University's computer system from home.
Jason Jarrell, 19, who lives with his mother in Coppell, Texas, was arraigned in New Haven Superior Court Thursday and charged with six counts of computer crime. He is accused of tapping into computers at five university centers, including two computer systems used to research AIDS, cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's disease.
Damage is estimated at $150,000, based on the time the computers were down and the time needed to restore the systems, state prosecutors said.
The case is the first major network intrusion prosecuted at the state level in Connecticut, said John Blawie, senior assistant state's attorney.
"He hijacked a Yale account and there's evidence that he boasted on the Internet of having owned Yale," he said.
The Connecticut Computer Crimes Task Force tracked Jarrell's telephone number with the help of his Internet service provider. His error was to connect to Yale from his home, said Yale spokesman H. Morrow Long.
"We laid a trap and watched him come back," he said.
Jarrell repeatedly broke into Yale's computers from his home in Coppell, creating his own user accounts and installing hidden software to monitor Yale network traffic and gather passwords, according to the arrest warrant.
James Ruane, a lawyer representing Jarrell, declined to comment other than to note Jarrell's age. He was 16 years old at the time of the alleged offenses.
Jarrell's next court appearance is April 22. Bond was set at $100,000.
If convicted on all charges, he faces 95 years in prison.
Source: www.newsday.com
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