Twenty-one-year-old hacker Jeanson James Ancheta of Downey, Calif., was sentenced to 57 months in prison for hacking into hundreds of thousands of computers and then renting the network of computers he shanghaied to spyware companies and spammers, The Washington Post reports.The article states Ancheta admitted using Internet worms to seize control of huge numbers of PCs running on the Windows operating system. He then used those computers as a base for online ad-serving software that earned him more than $61,000 and a BMW car.The Post reports that Ancheta also pleaded guilty to hacking into computers at the weapons division of the U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center in China Lake and the Defense Information Systems Agency, causing roughly $15,000 worth of damage.A big win for the U.S. Justice Department, it is getting billed as “the first prosecution of its kind in the nation.” The story also reports that James Aquilina, the assistant U.S. attorney who prosecuted Ancheta on behalf of the federal government, called it the longest sentence ever handed down for a case involving the spreading of computer viruses. “My hope is that this sentence will deter others from using botnets to commit crimes, especially the youthful ones who commit these crimes and think they’re immune from prosecution, that they’ll never get caught,” Anquilina told the Post.For more on hacking, read How a Bookmaker and a Whiz Kid Took On an Extortionist – and Won and The Devil’s InfoSec Dictionary. Keep checking in at our Security Feed page, or subscribe via RSS, for updated news coverage.By Paul Kerstein Related content feature How to pick the best endpoint detection and response solution EDR software has emerged as one of the preeminent tools in the CISO’s arsenal. Here’s what to look for and what to avoid when choosing EDR software. By Linda Rosencrance Sep 25, 2023 10 mins Intrusion Detection Software Intrusion Detection Software Intrusion Detection Software feature Top cybersecurity M&A deals for 2023 Fears of recession, rising interest rates, mass tech layoffs, and conservative spending trends are likely to make dealmakers cautious, but an ever-increasing need to defend against bigger and faster attacks will likely keep M&A activity steady in By CSO Staff Sep 22, 2023 24 mins Mergers and Acquisitions Data and Information Security IT Leadership brandpost Unmasking ransomware threat clusters: Why it matters to defenders Similar patterns of behavior among ransomware treat groups can help security teams better understand and prepare for attacks By Joan Goodchild Sep 21, 2023 3 mins Cybercrime news analysis China’s offensive cyber operations support “soft power” agenda in Africa Researchers track Chinese cyber espionage intrusions targeting African industrial sectors. By Michael Hill Sep 21, 2023 5 mins Advanced Persistent Threats Cyberattacks Critical Infrastructure Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe