The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Gary W. Browser, alleged leader of the hacker group Team Xecutor, has been sentenced to 40 months in prison, in addition to paying a fine of nearly 14 million dollars. This group specialized in software for hacking Nintendo Switch consoles, allowing users to run third-party software on the device.
At the start of the investigation, Bowser faced 11 serious charges, though he has only pleaded guilty to conspiracy to circumvent security mechanisms in technological devices and trafficking in circumvention devices. Team Xecutor developed pirated software and emulators for Switch, Nintendo 3DS, Xbox, PlayStation, and NES Classic.
The defendant admitted to having worked with this group between 2013 and 2020, during which time he managed illegal websites and sold software for hacking consoles and devices. In the lawsuit against Team Xecutor, Nintendo claims to have lost more than 65 million dollars as a result of the group's activities.
Nintendo thanked the law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation, which include the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The video game company has always sought to take strict measures against the illegal use of its products. Previously, Nintendo won a lawsuit against the RomUniverse platform, requiring the website's administrators to pay $2.1 million in compensation, and they were also required to destroy all illegally developed ROMs.
More recently, Nintendo began sending copyright warnings against the YouTube channel GilvaSunner for its Nintendo soundtrack videos, which will likely lead to the channel's permanent closure.
For more information on information security risks, malware variants, vulnerabilities, and information technologies, feel free to visit the websites of the International Institute of Cyber Security (IICS).
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