A 15yo autistic boy's tinkering triggered WA's biggest ever data breach
12 hours ago
- #legal-system
- #autism
- #data-breach
- A 15-year-old autistic boy named Joshua intercepted unencrypted hospital frequencies using a radio scanner in his bedroom.
- He decoded and uploaded sensitive patient and staff data to a website during the COVID-19 pandemic, triggering WA's biggest data breach.
- Joshua claimed it was a misunderstanding, unaware of the consequences until police raided his home the next day.
- No legal action was taken against Joshua, who cooperated fully with authorities.
- Experts highlighted how autistic individuals may struggle with social and legal consequences due to intense fixations on specific interests.
- WA's Intellectual Disability Diversion Program (IDDP) offers alternative legal pathways for neurodiverse offenders, focusing on rehabilitation over punishment.
- Challenges remain, including mandatory sentencing laws and lack of awareness about specialized courts.
- Joshua now works in cybersecurity, aiming to 'make up for' his past actions.