A BALLARAT man charged with several computer-related offences will appear in court after it was discovered the City of Ballarat's online network was infiltrated.
The Courier can reveal Bradley Ward of Ballarat was charged by police on Thursday last week.
The charges include unauthorised access to a computer system, unauthorised modification of data, knowingly causing unauthorised impairment of electronic communication and causing unauthorised access to restricted data held in a computer.
The combined charges carry a maximum penalty of 27 years in jail.
Ballarat City Council confirmed last week their computer network had been infiltrated and was shut down.
In a statement released last week, City of Ballarat chief executive officer Anthony Schinck said the potential costs of the alleged security breach could be costly for ratepayers.
"The potential costs are enormous," he said.
Other councils including Ararat Rural City Council and Golden Plains Shire Council also confirmed there had been unauthorised access to their computer networks.
The E-Crime Squad is investigating the security breach.
Yesterday Mr Ward declined to comment on the charges and said he would release a statement to the media later this month.
He is due to appear in the Ballarat Magistrates Court on November 29.
Email a friend