Abuse of PMO website: Unemployed man admits to charges

Abuse of PMO website: Unemployed man admits to charges

SINGAPORE - A jobless man pleaded guilty Tuesday to 7 out of 59 charges under the Computer Misuse and Cybersecurity Act.

Most of the charges involved the entering of unauthorised script into the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) website on Nov 7 last year, reported The Straits Times.

According to report, Mohammad Azhar Tahir, 27, created a script which would generate an image referencing international hacktivist group Anonymous, when triggered.

The New Paper reported last year that Mohammed Azhar faced 10 charges for changing the passwords to Ah Boys To Men actor Mr Muhammad Ridhwan's Hotmail, Gmail, Twitter and Facebook accounts, unauthorised accessing of the actor's Instagram account, and deleting videos from his YouTube account.

He was also charged with unauthorised accessing of a wireless network subscribed to by a woman known as Nadia Ali Khan and altering the password to her wireless modem.

Mohammad Azhar also made an unauthorised modification to the contents on the PMO website.

According to The Straits Times on Tuesday, Mohammad Azhar abused a Google search box embedded on the page and created script which would generate an image referencing international hacktivist group Anonymous, when triggered.

He also posted a link with the script on various social media websites, he posted a link containing the script.

When clicked, it led users to a page with a Guy Fawkes mask and a sentence reading "It's great to be a Singaporean today".

His brother, full-time national serviceman Mohammad Asyiq Tahir, pleaded guilty to 5 of 11 charges. These are similar to those faced by Mohammad Azhar, with the exception of PMO website offences, reported The Straits Times.

The pair will be sentenced on Dec 8.

candicec@sph.com.sg

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