A 27-year-old former engineering student has been charged with 20 cybercrime offenses for allegedly hacking into Western Sydney University’s systems to score discounted parking, alter her marks, and steal confidential data.
Birdie Kingston was arrested on Wednesday after police alleged she had been exploiting the university’s systems since 2021, when she was studying engineering with an electrical major.
Parking and Grades Were Just the Beginning
Her offending allegedly began with attempts to get discounted parking on campus, before escalating to changing her marks from a fail to a pass. But that was just the tip of the iceberg.
Police allege the cyber attacks continued over several years, with the university only discovering the breaches in 2023 and referring the matter to authorities.
$40,000 Ransom Demand and Threats to Sell Stolen Data
In November last year, Kingston allegedly demanded cryptocurrency worth around $40,000 from the university, warning the stolen data would be sold on a popular darknet forum if the ransom wasn’t paid.
Detective Acting Superintendent Jason Smith said the university did not pay the ransom, and there is no evidence the data was ever sold or published. Hundreds of university staff and students are believed to have been affected.
Long-Standing Grievances and High-Level Technical Skills
Smith alleged Kingston’s long-standing grievances with the university may have been a key motivator behind the alleged offences.
“When you look at all of these (alleged) offences it’s very apparent that the person behind them has a very high level of technical skill and capability,” he said.
Charges and Penalties
Kingston has been charged with 20 offences, including multiple counts of accessing or modifying restricted data, unauthorised modification of data with intent to cause impairment, and carrying out unauthorised functions with intent to commit a serious offence.
She also faces charges relating to possession of data for criminal purposes, dishonest financial gain, and making threats with the intent to obtain a benefit or cause loss.
Smith said some of the charges carry significant penalties, including up to 10 years in prison.
Kingston was refused bail to appear in Parramatta Local Court on Thursday.