Report suggests NoW hacked computers as well as phones

Against the background of the ongoing Leveson Inquiry into media ethics following the News of the World (NoW) hacking scandal, a new report seems to indicate that computer hacking may have been as rife as illegal access to voicemails.

The report, by BBC Radio 4, uses evidence from Joe Poulton, an undercover police officer who spent time working with private detective firm Southern Investigations, who claims the scale of the computer hacking operation dwarfs that of the phone hacking scandal which led to the closure of the News of the World in July this year.

Southern Investigations is alleged to have engaged in criminal activities, including hacking on behalf of several British newspapers.

The Metropolitan Police are currently investigating the computer hacking in an initiative called 'Operation Tuletta' launched in June this year.

According to Poulton, the computer hacking included the collection of medical, pension and tax records using various forms of malware, such as keystroke loggers and Trojans commonly used by cyber criminals.

The report claims that a number of current and former police officers aided this hacking operation in exchange for cash.

It also quotes Ian Hurst, a former intelligence agent in the British army, who alleges that he had a virus placed on his computer by Southern Investigations.

Hurst claimed that data pertaining to British army operations in Northern Ireland was taken from his computer and sent to News of the World staff.