Anonymous hacker admits stealing abortion site's passwords

A hacker identified with the hacktivist group Anonymous admitted to breaking into a British website offering advice on pregnancy, including abortion, and stealing the records of some 10,000 people.

 

Computer security firm Sophos identified the hacker as James Jeffery, 27, of Wednesbury in the British West Midlands, who was caught for breaking into the website of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS).

 

"Jeffery admitted two offences under the Computer Misuse Act. He was refused bail and will be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court at a later date," Sophos said in a blog post.

 

He had also defaced BPAS's website, posting an anti-abortion message.

 

A screenshot of the defaced site bore the Anonymous logo and a message that "(a)n unborn child does not have an opinion, a choice or any rights."

 

"Who gave you the right to murder that unborn child and profit from that murder? ... The product, abortion, is skilfully marketed and sold to women at the crisis time in her life. She buys the product, and wants to return it for a refund. But it’s too late," read the message.

 

Sophos noted BPAS's website allows people to make enquiries regarding abortion, contraception, pregnancy, testing for sexually transmitted diseases and sterilisation.

 

However, it has been stressed that no medical or personal information regarding women who have received treatment from the charity was obtainable - only details of those who had contacted BPAS's website.

 

But Sophos also noted Jeffrey told a Westminster Magistrate's Court hearing this weekend that he eventually decided against publishing the details in his possession because he thought doing so would be "wrong."

 

He added he targeted the British Pregnancy Advisory Service because he was upset that two women he knew had made the decision to terminate their pregnancies. — TJD, GMA News