The big reveal for Nintendo’s hybrid console was less exciting than it should have been, thanks to early leaks. Some of those leaks may have been the results of a bit of social engineering and hacking which saw Californian hacker Ryan Hernandez gain access to Nintendo servers, pilfer information, and then leak it to the public.
At the time, Hernandez was contacted by the FBI, given what amounted to a slap on the wrist, and given instruction to not be a naughty boy by doing it again. If you guessed that Hernandez then went off an was in deed a naughty boy again, you’d be bang on the money.
According to a release from U.S. Attorney’s Office Western District of Washington, Hernandez indeed “returned to his malicious activities, hacking into multiple Nintendo servers and stealing confidential information about various popular video games, gaming consoles, and developer tools. HERNANDEZ boasted about his hacking exploits on several online and social media platforms, such as Twitter and Discord, and leaked some of the stolen information to others. HERNANDEZ further operated an online chat forum called “Ryan’s Underground Hangout” in which he and others discussed Nintendo products and shared information about possible Nintendo network vulnerabilities, and on which he shared some of the confidential information he had stolen.”
In an FBI Raid, which resulted in Hernandez’ electronic equipment being seized, investigators “discovered thousands of confidential Nintendo files.”
Hernandez has since please guilty to hacking Nintendo, and will face up to three years in prison for that offense, and will also pay $259,323 in restitution to Nintendo. It’s not over for Hernandez though. In fact, thing could get much, much worse. In the raid, investigators found a folder called “Bad Stuff.” In said folder, they found “more than one thousand videos and images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.” Yup, child porn.
He’s pleaded guilty to harbouring that stuff too – and could face up to twenty years in prison.
Last Updated: February 3, 2020
Original Heretic
February 3, 2020 at 13:58
Cut it off and feed the ducks.
Pariah
February 3, 2020 at 14:04
That’s cruelty to animals. Hasn’t he done enough already?
Original Heretic
February 3, 2020 at 15:24
Ducks like sausage.
Plus, it’s a reference to an event that really occurred.
Dunkster
February 3, 2020 at 14:48
The CP is thrown in the title casually.
Pariah
February 3, 2020 at 14:21
Ryan gon’ be cryin’.
Hammersteyn
February 4, 2020 at 10:11
Good