Two students at a university have been charged with destroying a computer network after hacking into the educational institution's IT systems to modify information about their physical education class.
With entrepreneurship running through their veins, the duo, who study at Lixin Commerce University in Shanghai, found a simple way to make some easy money, around $4,000 / €2,900 (25,000 yen).
One of the university 's requirements for male students is to complete twenty 1,500-meter runs per semester, while women must complete 18 runs.
Data is recorded in the database by swiping a card at the start and finish of the route. Failure to complete the required number of routes will result in failure of the course.
Students Zhou and Cao started a business that would generate steady income from customers who wanted to change their route data.
Zhou was afraid he would fail the course, and to avoid it, he gained unauthorized access to the database and altered the records. Some of his fellow students who discovered this offered him money to do the same for them.
Cao learned about the business and offered to help Zhou by bringing in clients and giving him more time to hack. The lucrative operation lasted four months, with each breach charging around $3/€2 (20 yen).
The university became aware of this and reported the two students to the police. They said they knew it was wrong, but they never imagined that the act was a crime.
