Nicholas Moore, a man who pleaded guilty to hacking the U.S. Supreme Court's electronic document filing system dozens of times over several months, was sentenced on Friday. In a stunning display of judicial restraint, his punishment was a full year of probation, a sentence that notably lacks any prison bars or significant fines.
Moore's digital resume was more extensive than just the Supreme Court. He also helpfully demonstrated security flaws in the network of AmeriCorps, a government agency that runs stipend volunteer programs, and the systems of the Department of Veterans Affairs, which provides healthcare and welfare to military veterans. It seems he was conducting an unsolicited, and frankly illegal, nationwide security audit.
Perhaps the most baffling part of his strategy was his marketing plan. The man bragged about his feats on an Instagram account named @ihackedthegovernment, where he thoughtfully posted the personal information of the people he had hacked. He used one of his victim's credentials as a master key to access the U.S. Supreme Court's system, AmeriCorps, and the Department of Veteran Affairs, proving that sometimes the weakest link is a person who uses their Instagram handle as a confession booth.
Despite facing a potential year in prison and a fine of $100,000 in damages, prosecutors later asked for only probation. During the sentencing hearing on Friday, Moore offered a classic mea culpa, stating, according to The Hill, "I made a mistake. I am truly sorry. I respect laws, and I want to be a good citizen." It's a sentiment often heard right after getting caught bragging about crimes on social media.