Security researcher pleads guilty in GoGet case

Illawarra-based security researcher Nikola Cubrilovic has pleaded guilty to charges related to unauthorised access to the GoGet service and will be sentenced in May.

Cubrilovic was arrested in January 2018 and charged with allegedly accessing a database the car-sharing service in order to use its vehicles.

Cubrilovic’s arrest came after an investigation by Strike Force Artsy, which NSW Police said at the time had been established to “investigate unauthorised access to the administrative section of a company website”.

Cubrilovic faced accusations of obtaining unauthorised access to GoGet vehicles more than 30 times between May and July 2017.

“On 27 June 2017, GoGet’s IT team identified suspected unauthorised activity on its system and a full internal investigation was immediately commenced,” GoGet’s CEO at the time, Tristan Sender, said in a statement released in January 2018.

In total, Cubrilovic faced 39 charges including dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage, dealing with identity information to commit an indictable offence, and taking and driving a vehicle without the consent of its owner.

The vast majority of the charges were withdrawn and dismissed, with Cubrilovic pleading guilty to four charges of taking a vehicle without consent, and a single charge each of dealing with identity information and dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage.

Cubrilovic, who is out on bail, is due to front Local Court in Sydney for sentencing on 1 May.

The researcher had been due to face trial this week but changed his plea earlier this month.

A Sydney court last year heard that the case had been delayed while police sought data from Amazon Web Services.