The Microsoft crusade against hacking continues. A judge has sentenced a convicted hacker known as "illwill" to two years in prison. "illwill" has been found guilty of selling the code for Microsoft's closely guarded Windows programs. Known in the real world as William Genovese, Jr., the 29 year old illwill pleaded guilty in August to charges related to the sale and attempted sale of the source code for Microsoft's Windows 2000 and Windows NT 4.0.
Prosecutors said in an indictment in February 2004 that Genovese posted a message on his Web site offering the code for sale on the same day that Microsoft learned significant portions of its source code were stolen.
Genovese was arrested when an investigator for an online security company hired by Microsoft and an undercover FBI agent downloaded the stolen source code from his Web site after sending him electronic payments for it.
Not a very popular man with the Police, Genovese has 12 prior criminal convictions, including three computer-related crimes and a sexual abuse conviction. Judge Pauley ordered him to register as sex offender, and his future computer use will be very strictly monitored.