AFP scolds child hackers

Parents warned DDoS, virus-writing could lead to jail time.

The Australian Federal Police has knocked on the doors of six young hackers suspected of performing denial of service attacks this week.

Parents in Brisbane, Sydney and Perth were told by AFP officers their children had participated in various “cybercrime-related activities”.

Each were handed copies of Commonwealth cybercrime legislation warned of the implications of their actions.

High Tech Crime Operations national manager Neil Gaughan said in a statement the cautions were “part of the ongoing commitment by law enforcement to deter cyber criminals".

“In this case, the AFP has engaged with these young people to educate them on the risks of becoming involved in this type of behaviour before they find themselves committing serious offences," he said.

The young hackers were told activities such as hacking, virus-writing and launching DDoS attacks could lead to convictions and at worst attract up to ten years in prison.

The cautions were made under the ThinkUKnow initiative between the AFP and Microsoft. None of those warned were charged.