American pleads guilty to hacking Nintendo systems

An American from the state of California has confessed to hacking into Nintendo’s network and stealing company data a few years ago. The man thus obtained, among other things, information about the then unreleased Switch console.

According to the US Department of Justice, the 21-year-old man, Ryan Hernandez, has pleaded guilty to both hacking Nintendo systems in 2016 and possessing child pornography. On April 21, the judge will rule in the case, noting that Hernandez was still a minor during the hack.

Hernandez gained access to Nintendo’s systems through phishing, although the Justice Department does not say which method was used. After extracting the login details from a Nintendo employee, he gained access to systems that contained company secrets, including the then unreleased Switch.

Incidentally, the FBI tracked down Hernandez as early as 2017, warning him not to engage in any further illegal activities. Still, he broke into Nintendo systems again in 2018 and 2019, after which the FBI raided his home and seized devices.

Prosecutors demand a three-year prison sentence, and Hernandez has agreed to pay Nintendo $259,323 in damages.