The CBI on Friday arrested an alleged hacker from Chennai for allegedly entering into the computer systems of American software giant Microsoft to steal product keys. The accused Prabhu D, a school drop-out who claims to be an MBA, was arrested by the cyber cell of CBI from Chennai for stealing Microsoft’s products and cheating unsuspecting customers.
Sources said Rs18 lakh were found in his bank savings account which has been frozen. The financial damage incurred by Microsoft will be ascertained during the detailed questioning of Prabhu who is being brought here under transit remand.Product keys stolen by the accused is estimated to be worth lakhs of rupees. Further details will emerge from sustained interrogation and forensic examination of his laptop computer and hard discs seized from him, agency sources said, adding the accused could have compromised some Government websites using Microsoft products.
Product keys are specific codes for any software which are purchased from the company to certify that the copy of the program used is original.CBI has registered a case under sections of the IPC relating to theft and provisions of Information Technology Act, 2000.
“It is alleged that that Microsoft Volume license Service Centre (VlSC) agreements in respect of different overseas and Indian customers of the Microsoft were unauthorisedly being accessed (hacked) for the purpose of stealing product keys of the different Microsoft products as well as cheating, by selling these keys online,” an official release said.Searches at his premises led to recovery of hard disks of computer system, router used for committing the alleged crime along with numbers of Microsoft product kits and other documents.