A local court in Shanghai recently sentenced a computer hacker to three years in prison and a 10,000-yuan fine for breaking into computer system and manipulating prices on the Shanghai Securities Exchange.

Zhao Zhe, a staff member at a securities company, broke into the computer system of the Shanghai Securities Department of the Sanya Zhongya Trust Investment Company and changed five transaction records, causing the turnover of two stocks to increase drastically, and bringing about a direct loss of 2.95 million yuan.

This is the first case of a hacker attempting to influence prices of securities on the Shanghai bourse.