A teenager from Bedford, England has been handed a police caution and a criminal record after getting caught cheating at online games. The 17-year-old used hacking tools to slow fellow gamers’ internet connection speeds down while competing in games on the internet. The Daily Mail reports: He used an ‘IP Stresser’, which rapidly sends lots of information to the target device, in this case disrupting the connection of other gamers in order to clinch victory. Bedford police said despite the minimal impact on other users the ‘activity will not be tolerated’. The use of the hacking tool contravenes the Computer Misuse Act 1990, and therefore constitutes a criminal offence. It has not been confirmed what games the teenager is reported to have cheated in. Detective Sergeant Sarah Livingstone said: ‘In this case, the impact to other users in question was not severe, however this initial offending can swiftly evolve into committing more serious criminal offences relating to the denial of service or other cyber related offences against individuals and organisations. ‘This type of activity will not be tolerated and it is vital that we halted this individual’s practices and diverted him away from further offending, by educating and providing him with guidance [...]
