A British man who hacked cameras and CCTV to spy on people while they were in their homes has been given a suspended prison sentence. The cybercrimes committed by Briton John Wood were revealed in 2018 as part of a joint investigation by British police and the US FBI into the creator of the LuminosityLink malware , Colton Grubbs.
Off-the-shelf malware could be secretly deployed on a Windows computer ,hijack the device's webcam, and transmit footage back to the attacker. Hackers could also use LuminosityLink to record keystrokes and trap an infected computer in a botnet.
In 2018, Grubbs admitted to designing and selling the LuminosityLink malware to over 6,000 customers, at a price of $39.99 apiece, despite knowing that many of his customers were using it to spy on unsuspecting victims without their consent.
Wood, a Briton, was found guilty of two counts of computer misuse and six counts of voyeurism at Swindon Crown Court. The 42-year-old was given a two-year suspended prison sentence. His lawyer told the court that Wood had been diagnosed with mental health problems.
According to the Swindon Advertiser, Wood purchased the LuminosityLink malware in 2015, but the court found no evidence to suggest he used it. However, Wood used a CCTV management product called “Blue Iris”to hack into cameras and spy on unsuspecting people.
Between 2011 and 2016, Wood made more than 1,400 illegal video, the majority of which showed people having sex at home, according to the newspaper. He also set up secret cameras inside and outside his home to record women.
Wood did not stop his illegal activities while on holiday. According to the court, he set up hidden cameras in holiday homes and at the Bognor Regis Butlins holiday resort, recording videos of more than 167 victims.
Judge Peter Crabtree noted that Wood had been involved in a systematic campaign of voyeurism for at least six years. While the LuminosityLink creator was sentenced to 30 months in prison in the US and ordered to pay $725 million in restitution, Wood was registered as a sex offender, and was required to complete 100 hours of community service and attend a 30-day rehab program.
