Man charged with botnet-related crimes

A 19-year-old man has been charged with offences under the Criminal Law Act and Computer Misuse Act by officers from the Metropolitan Police Service’s Police Central e-Crime Unit (PCeU).

Ryan Cleary is charged to have conspired with other persons unknown to conduct unauthorized modification of computers by constructing and distributing a computer program to form a botnet modified and configured to conduct DDoS attacks.

The intention was to impair the operation of computers or to prevent or hinder access to any program or data on such computers or impair the operation of a program or the reliability of data held in such a computer

Mr. Cleary is suspected of doing a DDoS attack against the websites of the Serious Organised Crime Agency, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) and the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).

He is due to appear in custody at City of Westminster Magistrates Court today, June 23.