US credit card hacker sentenced

Computer expert Albert Gonzalez has been jailed for 20 years in the US for his part in stealing more than 130 million credit and debit card numbers.

The judge who sentenced him described the case as "the largest and most costly example of computer hacking in US history".

Gonzalez, from Miami, pleaded guilty at his trial in September 2009.

He was accused, along with two Russian co-conspirators, of hacking into retailer payment systems.

They targeted more than 250 US companies including payment processor Heartland Payment Systems, food and drink store 7-Eleven and American supermarket Hannaford Brothers Co.

Gonzalez was found to have used SQL injection attacks to exploit weaknesses in payment software programmes and access data, stealing millions of customer card details.

He blamed "curiosity and addiction" for his crimes. As part of a plea bargain, he had handed over to the court expensive jewellery, watches, his car and home.

He also gave $1m in cash that he had buried in his parents' garden. ...

via BBC News - US credit card hacker sentenced.