Guilty Plea in MS Source Code Case

A Connecticut man who was caught selling portions of Microsoft's source code for its Windows operating system on his Web site has plead guilty to charges associated with the theft.

Known by the Internet handle "illwill," William Genovese Jr., 28 had obtained code from the Windows 2000 and NT 4.0 operating systems. He was charged in February 2004 after Microsoft discovered the code for sale on a Web site owned by Genovese.

An undercover FBI agent and a paid Microsoft investigator were able to successfully purchase and download the code.

Unauthorized users that have access to source code could pose a problem for Microsoft. By having access to the internals of an operating system, a hacker could write new viruses and malware to exploit vulnerabilities within that code.

Microsoft does have methods to share its Windows source, however they come with strict restrictions on who can see the code. The company believes that Genovese did not get the code from its own servers.

If convicted, Genovese could face 10 years in prison and $250,000 in fines.