Karp refused to comment on the incident.
Attempting to explain his client's motives, defense attorney Edward F. St. Onge said Trifero viewed hacking as a challenge. "It's like a chess game," he said.
"It started as a game," St. Onge said. "It got out of hand. He never intended to cause any harm."
Trifero faces sentencing on January 8th, and could incur a penalty of up to as much as five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count.
According to St. Onge, Trifero has offered assistance to Harvard as a part of his punishment. He said he will explain his methods and help Harvard learn how to prevent further attacks from hackers.
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"Maybe some good will be done in the long run," St. Onge said.