A student waged a sophisticated campaign of cyber-attacks which paralysed company computers causing unprecedented damage, a court heard.
Christopher Weatherhead, 22, whose online nickname was “Nerdo”, exploited “the dark side” of computer technology, the jury was told.
From his student digs’ bedroom Weatherhead led a gang of cyber vandals known as Anonymous in the campaign in 2010.
They targeted companies such as the Ministry of Sound, PayPal and Mastercard who either opposed online piracy or had come out against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, the court heard.
Weatherhead, of Northampton, has pleaded not guilty at Southwark Crown Court to conspiracy to impair the operation of computers.
The court has heard three alleged co-members of Anonymous have already pleaded guilty to a same charge.
Sandip Patel, prosecuting, said although the internet was a great force for good in society, “there is a dark side and this case is about that.”
He added: “Weatherhead is a cyber-attacker and he, and others like him, waged a sophisticated, orchestrated campaign of online attacks which paralysed a series of targeted computer systems belonging to companies causing unprecedented harm.
“He went by the online nickname of ‘Nerdo’ and played a central and integral role in the campaign of cyber-attacks in 2010.
“He and others carried out what is referred to as Distributed Denial of Services (DDOS) attacks which paralysed computer systems by flooding them with an intolerable number of online requests and messages.”
Mr Patel said that members of Anonymous described themselves as “Hacktivists”.
“At times they cite libertarian ideals as part of their raison d’etre, a desire for individual freedom, the freedom to circulate information and believe the internet should be free with no online copyright protection for music or films or whatever.”
Weatherhead led one attack which was described as being almost “on military lines” entitled Operation Payback against companies involved in the music industry who are opposed to internet piracy, the court heard.
Other targets included PayPal which had refused to process payments on behalf of WikiLeaks at the time that Mr Assange and others were publishing US military and diplomatic documents on line.
“Companies which began to disassociated themselves from WikiLeaks such as PayPal and Mastercard were targeting in a campaign of retribution,” said Mr Patel.
Weatherhead and his co-conspirators used Twitter, Facebook and online chat relays to plan and coordinate their attacks, the jury was told.
The case continues.
