TalkTalk hacker tells court he was 'just showing off'

17-year-old admits to seven offences under the Computer Misuse Act 1990

The 17-year-old hacker behind the attack on internet service provider (ISP) TalkTalk in October 2015 has said in court that he was "just showing off" in front of friends.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared in court today and admitted seven offences in relation to last October's TalkTalk hacks. He claimed in court today, though, that he had "grown up" since then, telling magistrates: "I didn't think of the consequences at the time. I was just showing off to my mates... It was a passion, not any more. I won't let it happen again. I have grown up."

He was arrested in Norwich in November 2015 and charged with breaching the Computer Misuse Act 1990 following the attacks on TalkTalk that resulted in the personal data of almost 160,000 people being accessed. The banking details of 15,656 customers were also exposed in the attack.

TalkTalk was fined £400,000 for the breach - discounted by 20 per cent for early payment - in an attack that the-then information commissioner Christopher Graham described as a "car crash".

The attack exposed lackadaisical security at the internet service provider, which has more of a reputation for "value" than "quality", and also cost the company £42m in total, the company claimed in July.

Several other suspects across the country were also arrested in connection with the attacks, although it's not clear whether they were involved or sought to take advantage in the confusion that followed.

The hacker's day in court comes as TalkTalk warned that it is still struggling in its core broadband subscription market in the wake of the attack. The company lost 98,000 retail subscribers in the first half of the year, but gained 69,000 via wholesale deals with third-parties, resulting in a net loss of 29,000 subscribers. However, these wholesale customers are much less profitable than retailers that subscribe to TalkTalk directly.

That loss of customers follows on from a big exodus to more competent ISPs following the attack.

The company managed to post a £46m pre-tax profit in the six months to the end of September, largely as a result of slashing marketing spend prior to an October relaunch. Attempts to drum-up business on the cheap over social media ultimately backfired as customers past and present piled in to criticise the hapless company.