A cheating student who hacked into his school’s computers to give himself a better degree has been jailed.
Dailymail reports that Imran Uddin, 25, used a keyboard spying device to steal staff passwords and then upped five of his exam marks, including one from 57 per cent to 73 per cent.
The final-year bio-science student at the University of Birmingham had been expected to achieve at least a lower second class (2:2) degree, but the inflated marks could have increased his final grade.
Uddin was yesterday jailed for four months after admitting six breaches to the Computer Misuse Act.
Judge James Burbidge QC told Uddin: ‘For reasons not entirely clear to me, whether it was monetary, or pride or a desire to out-perform others, you decided to cheat and you formed a settled intention to do that. I consider your actions were planned and persistent.
‘This kind of conduct undermines or has the potential to undermine public confidence in the degree system, set up by this university. I have decided I cannot pass a suspended sentence because there needs to be an element of deterrence.’
Birmingham Crown Court heard how Uddin attached a ‘shadowing’ keyboard device at the back of a number of university computers in order to steal staff passwords.
The device recorded the keystrokes staff members entered and transmitted them back to Uddin, who could then work out their log-in credentials.
Madhu Rai, prosecuting, said: ‘It is effectively a case where the defendant has hacked into a number of computers at the university where he was studying for a degree in bio-science.’
She said matters came to light on October 7 last year when two staff members carried out routine upgrades on a computer in a lecture theatre in the bio-science building.
When they removed protective casing they discovered a spying device had been attached to the back, which could record the keystrokes of anyone using the keyboard – including their passwords.
