Man charged in court for unauthorised modification of website

By Chong Kai Xiong , Image from Channel News Asia

Entrepreneur and IT consultant Delson Moo, 42, was charged in court today (29 Nov) for unauthorised modification of the Istana website under Section 5(1) of the Computer Misuse and Cybersecurity Act, Chapter 50A. The act carries a maximum fine of $10,000 or imprisonment of up to 3 years.

Moo is alleged to have modified the “contents of the server hosting the Internet website www.istana.gov.sg” by using the “search function on the server to process a script” which he had “crafted and injected into the said server”.

The script allegedly “impaired the normal operation of the said server” by “causing the search function of the said server to generate and communicate instructions to display text and images” specified by Moo.

According to SPF’s website, Moo was arrested yesterday in connection with a police report lodged on 8 November 2013 by the web administrator of the Istana website. His case was mentioned at Subordinate Court 26 this morning and scheduled for a pre-trial conference on 24^th January 2014 at Subordinate Court 17, 3.15pm.

Moo’s bail was increased from $10,000 to $20,000 after the court granted an application in the afternoon for him to leave Singapore for a family holiday in Thailand from 4^th to 8^th December. In addition, he is required to supply the police a copy of his travel itinerary and to report to the police within 24 hours of his return.

Moo is represented by lawyer M Ravi.

Below is the written charge:

“unauthorised modification of the contents of the server hosting the Internet website www.istana.gov.sg, to wit, by using the search function on the server to process a script, which you had crafted and injected into the said server, thereby causing an act to occur which impaired the normal operation of the said server, in particular, by causing the search function on the said server to generate and communicate instructions to display text and images specified in your script, instead of the output which the search function would cause to be displayed under normal operation, an act which you were not authorised to do and you have thereby committed on offence punishable under Section 5(1) of the Computer Misuse for Cybersecurity Act (Chapter 50A).”