Nintendo are known for their strict guidelines on hacking into their own games, headquarters and confidential files.
Which is why an individual by the name of Ryan Hernandez has been sentenced to prison for three years, with offences related to ‘computer hacking’ and ‘possession of child pornography’.
It’s seemingly been an investigation that began in 2017 when he was first caught, and since then he’s been arrested for other crimes.
With Nintendo as big as it is and strict in their security, this is what he attempted.
What were the Crimes?
According to the United States Attorney’s Office, Ryan was contacted back in October 2017 about his hacking methods to gain access to Nintendo’s pre-release information, ‘about the anticipated Nintendo Switch console’.
While he was advised to stop, mainly due to him being a minor at the time, he didn’t, which brings us to today.
He continued to hack Nintendo servers and leak information, through representatives and on social media channels, and once the FBI got wind of this, they raided his home in 2019.
They found thousands of confidential Nintendo files, all related to the Switch and their developer tools, but also a folder named ‘Bad Stuff’, containing over 1000 files of child pornography.
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How was he Captured?
He was found boasting about his thefts on social media channels, alongside leaking information by the FBI, and even setting up a private forum called ‘Ryan’s Underground Hangout’, boasting about Nintendo’s vulnerabilities.
Ryan Hernandez pled guilty in January of this year, and was sentenced this week.
He’s also agreed to pay $259,323 in restitution to Nintendo for the remediation costs caused by his conduct.
Ryan was sentenced to three years in prison, alongside a requirement to complete seven years of supervised release and to register as a sex offender for life.
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