Man accused of hacking NASA computers used for interplanetary missions

NEW YORK (AP) - A New Rochelle man authorities believe has a knack for stealing secret computer passwords was arrested Wednesday on charges that he broke into two NASA computers at Jet Propulsion Laboratory and hosted an Internet chat room devoted to hacking.

The case against Raymond Torricelli, 20, prompted U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White to say in a statement that the Internet is ''no safe haven for criminals.''

Torricelli was arrested early Wednesday at his home, where he allegedly used his personal computer to break into two computers belonging to JPL in Pasadena, Calif.

Prosecutors said in court papers that Torricelli installed a program on a computer used by NASA to perform satellite design and mission analysis concerning future space missions. He then allegedly used the program in chat-room discussions with other hackers.

Torricelli also was accused of hacking into more than 800 other computers and using some of them to send unsolicited advertisements about a pornographic website. He earned $300 to $400 per week from the process, called spamming, prosecutors said.

Investigators said they found 76,000 passwords on Torricelli's computer, including passwords and usernames from computers owned by San Jose State University and Georgia Southern University.

White said people who gain access to restricted government computers ''are not harmless pranksters - they are criminals and will be dealt with vigorously.''

The NASA laboratory Torricelli allegedly hacked into is the lead center for exploration of space with robotic spacecraft, having launched missions to every planet in the solar system except Pluto.

Mary Beth Murrill, a spokeswoman for the lab, declined to comment on the case but said security has since been improved.

''We have a computer security system like any other large organization but we don't discuss it. We never discuss matters that involve computer security,'' she said.

The lab, which employs 5,000 people on a 200-acre campus, is managed by the California Institute of Technology, though its computers belong to NASA.

Torricelli was released on $50,000 bail.

If convicted of the most serious charge, he faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.