Growing no. of teen hackers (or wannabes)

The number of teenagers dabbling in high-tech crime is on the rise. "Computer security professionals say many Net forums are populated by teenagers swapping credit card numbers, phishing kits and hacking tips," the BBC reports. Kids as young as 11 and 12 are being found in these forums using credit card numbers to pay for packaged exploits, computer security experts say, some of whom seem to view searching for videogame cheats as a kind of "gateway" activity (I'd say only for those who've never been told the difference between legal and illegal). In any case, these hacker wannabes' age and low skill level make them relatively easy to catch and arrest, the BBC sources' say, and they need to know that nobody wants to be in the position of trying to get into college with a criminal record! The BBC says some are going for thrills, some for a certain kind of fame or validation (even making videos of their exploits and posting them on YouTube), some for money, and others some combination of all the above.

Felony charges for teen hackers

Two high school seniors in California were charged with "breaking into their school late at night and using stolen log-ins to hack into its computer system and change their grades," eCommerce Times reports. One faces a maximum sentence of more than 38 years for "34 felony counts of altering a public record, 11 felony counts of stealing and secreting a public record, seven felony counts of computer access and fraud, six felony counts of burglary, four felony counts of identity theft, three felony counts of altering a book of records, two felony counts of receiving stolen property, one felony count of conspiracy and one felony count of attempted altering of a public record." The other student faces a maximum of three years for "one felony count each of conspiracy, burglary, computer access and fraud, and attempted altering of a public record."

Teen hackers mostly good

A lot of teens do some hacking, and - though their intentions aren't malicious, their hacks are illegal, USATODAY reports. Covering a report by psychologist Shirley McGuire at the American Psychological Association conference, the article says "a large minority of teenagers commit computer crimes such as hacking and software piracy, but it's done mostly out of curiosity and a hunger for excitement rather than wanting to cause trouble." McGuire found in a survey of some 4,800 San Diego-area high school students that 38% had copied software without permission; 18% went into someone's computer or Web site without permission, 16% have taken material from it; and 13% changed a computer system, file program or Web site without permission."