Birdie Kingston covering her face after her case was briefly heard at Penrith Local Court in Sydney, Friday, July 18, 2025.
Share this @internewscast.com

An electrical engineering student facing charges of discreetly hacking into her university opted for a much simpler method to conceal her identity: a pink sweater.

Birdie Kingston, 27, allegedly started her trail of cybercrime by initially attempting to secure discounted parking at a Western Sydney University campus and altering one of her grades from a fail to a pass, according to police.

They allege her attacks escalated until she was waging an “ongoing and sustained campaign” against the university.

Birdie Kingston covering her face after her case was briefly heard at Penrith Local Court in Sydney, Friday, July 18, 2025.
Birdie Kingston covering her face after her case was briefly heard at Penrith Local Court in Sydney. (AAP)

She is accused of extorting the university from November onwards, ultimately calling for $40,000 in cryptocurrency to prevent her from disclosing confidential information about staff and students.

Kingston appeared with her parents at Penrith Local Court today.

Magistrate Stephen Corry was told the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions had not decided whether it would take control of the matter from police.

Outside court, the 27-year-old was escorted by her father as she covered her head with a light pink jumper to hide her face from reporters.

She did not say anything as she struggled to open the door of a waiting car driven by her mother.

A police search of the student’s residence in September 2023 and a further raid of her Kingswood apartment in June resulted in her arrest on 20 fraud and cyber charges.

She has not made any pleas and her matter will return to the same court on August 1.

In June, Western Sydney University said the attacks had a significant impact on the university community and upgrades were made to prevent similar incidents in future.

“This includes employing specialist staff, implementing new technologies that enhance our ability to detect, respond to and defend against threats to our digital environment,” it said in a statement.

Share this @internewscast.com