Ryan Harris and TCNISO Charged with Developing and Distributing Cable Network Hacking Tools

RYAN HARRIS, TCNISO, of San Diego, California, and Redmond, Oregon, was charged in a six-count Indictment with conspiracy, computer intrusion, and wire fraud.

What are the complaints with Ryan Harris & TCNISCO Inc? –
According to the Indictment, from 2003 through 2009, TCNISO, under HARRIS’s direction, developed and distributed hardware and software tools that allowed its customers to modify their cable modems so that they could disguise themselves as legitimate, paying subscribers in order to access internet service providers’ networks without authorization and get premium high-speed access without paying for it. The Indictment also charges that TCNISO and HARRIS offered ongoing customer support, primarily through forums that it hosted on the TCNISO website, to assist customers in their cable modem hacking activities.

According to the Indictment, one of the customers who used HARRIS and TCNISO’s products and assistance to steal Internet access was a male juvenile from Massachusetts, known by the online moniker “DShocker.” In November 2008, “Dshocker,” whose name is being withheld to protect his identity, was charged in federal court with computer intrusion, interstate threats and wire fraud.

If convicted, HARRIS faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine and restitution on each count.