Students and Lecturer in FreeHour Hacking Case Get Presidential Pardons
In a surprising turn of events, three students and a lecturer who were charged with hacking into the student app FreeHour have been granted presidential pardons. The four individuals, Michael Debono, Giorgio Grigolo, Luke Bjorn Scerri, and Mark Joseph Vella, were investigated and brought to court after they reported security vulnerabilities in the company's system.
A Well-Intentioned Act?
In a statement released by the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), it was revealed that the pardon was granted on the recommendation of Prime Minister Robert Abela and the Cabinet. According to the OPM, the students' actions were well-intentioned, and their reported security vulnerabilities were not malicious in nature. The prime minister had previously argued that this matter should be addressed not only from a legal perspective but also with regard to what was fair and just.
The Story Behind the Hacking Incident
The incident began when three students - Michael Debono, Giorgio Grigolo, and Luke Bjorn Scerri - discovered vulnerabilities in FreeHour's app backend while scanning its system. To prove their findings to the company, they made a change to the app, took a screenshot of what they had done, and then reverted everything back to its original state. They sent an email to the founder of FreeHour, Zach Ciappara, with their findings and asked for a reward in the form of a 'bug bounty'.
A Consequence of Legally Required Reporting
Ciappara informed the police about the email he received, which sparked an investigation. The students were arrested in November 2022, along with their lecturer Mark Joseph Vella, who was charged with being an accomplice to their crimes. A fourth student, Luke Collins, who was also arrested at the time, was not charged.
A Reaction from the Nationalist Party
The Nationalist Party (PN) reacted to the pardon by stating that the government should have changed the law immediately instead of allowing the three students and their lecturer to face criminal charges. They insisted that these individuals should never have faced prosecution in the first place, and that Prime Minister Robert Abela's decision to grant pardons was an attempt to boast about it.
A Lesson Learned
The case highlights the complexities of technological development and the need for legislation to keep pace with changing times. The government's response to this incident has sparked a debate about the balance between security, fairness, and justice. As the PN pointed out, the law should be amended to prevent such cases from happening again in the future.
The pardon granted to Michael Debono, Giorgio Grigolo, Luke Bjorn Scerri, and Mark Joseph Vella marks a new chapter in their lives. While the incident has had its consequences, it also serves as a reminder of the importance of responsible reporting and the need for companies to adapt to changing technologies.