Swede charged with hacking Cisco and NASA

A 21-YEAR-OLD SWEDE has been indicted on charges of hacking into the computer systems of NASA and US networking giant Cisco.

Philip Gabriel Pettersson, also known as "Stakkato" in the shadowy computer cracking underworld, faces charges of computer intrusion and misappropriating trade secrets, according to AFP.

Apparently his 2004 attack on Cisco involved breaking in and stealing high-end router operating system code. He is also suspected of breaking into computers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory at CalTech.

At the moment it is not clear where Pettersson is and it seems that the US Justice Department is still looking for him. Officially all it will say is that it is working cooperatively with the Swedish authorities on the case.

Sweden doesn't extradite its citizens to face foreign criminal charges, but might be persuaded to prosecute Pettersson in its own courts.

If Pettersson is found and convicted in a US federal court he potentially could be sentenced to prison for up to 10 years and face a fine of up to $250,000, so we understand why he might want to lay low. µ