Fergie's Tech Blog

'Spyware-for-Hire' Couple Plead Guilty

John Leyden writes on The Register:

An Israeli couple faces prison after confessing to the development and sale of a spyware Trojan horse that helped private investigators snoop on their clients' business competitors.

Ruth Brier-Haephrati, 28, and Michael Haephrati, 44, have entered guilty pleas to industrial espionage charges over the Trojan horse case. Ruth was charged with a litany of offences including fraud, planting computer viruses, and conspiracy. Her husband, Michael, is charged with aiding and abetting those offences, Ha'aretz reports. Ruth faces four years in jail while Michael faces two years' imprisonment. Each also faces a suspended sentence and a fine of one million New Israeli Shekels ($212K) under a plea-bargaining agreement. Tel Aviv District Court Judge Bracha Ofir-Tom will rule on whether the Haephrati's plea is acceptable on 27 March.

posted by Fergie @ 3/15/2006 07:02:00 AM