Head of Higher Ed Software Company Pleads Guilty

Ariel Manuel Friedler, CEO of Symplicity, a company that provides software to colleges for managing student disciplinary records, has pleaded guilty to charges related to hacking into the private networks of two competitors, the U.S. Justice Department announced. The hacking also involved two other employees and took place from 2007 to 2011. The Justice Department identified one of the competitors, Maxient. Friedler could be sentenced to up to five years in prison. In a letter to customers, he said that "I let competitiveness get the best of me and I crossed a line." He also resigned.