Disgruntled IT Guy holds information at ransom

[Superflyer]

A disgruntled IT guy created a back end way into the city databases for the city of San Fran while locking everyone else out.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...BAOS11P1M5.DTL
Let this be a lesson, never tick off your IT guys.

[Resolute 14]

[llama64]

Originally Posted by Superflyer

A disgruntled IT guy created a back end way into the city databases for the city of San Fran while locking everyone else out.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...BAOS11P1M5.DTL
Let this be a lesson, never tick off your IT guys.

Life lesson: Don't hire morons to design your network security.

Given direct hardware access, I don't see how they can't correct the problem given a day or two. No need to start fretting about mysterious third party devices that will magically destroy every document on the network.

[BlackArcher101]

Childs has worked for the city for about five years. One official with knowledge of the case said he had been disciplined on the job in recent months for poor performance and that his supervisors had tried to fire him.

"They weren't able to do it - this was kind of his insurance policy," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the attempted firing was a personnel matter.

At a news conference announcing Childs' arrest, District Attorney Kamala Harris was tightlipped about what his motive may have been.
"Motive is not necessarily an element of a crime," Harris said. "This city employee committed four felonies."

Somethings fishy in the bay. He doesn't look to be part of a Union... so why did they fail to fire a 5 year employee? Weren't able to do it because he threatened them with locking them out? In that case, they are idiots. You have an employee that is obviously unhappy with his job, not performing, and a failed firing attempt... what do you think he's going to do? Nothing?


I like how DA Harris says motive is not part of a crime... uh... what? It sounds like there's something being hidden here... Did he get some dirt on higher ups in the SF political circle and try blackmailing?

[corporatejay]

I like how DA Harris says motive is not part of a crime... uh... what?

Motive is not an element of crime in that the D.A. doesn't have to prove WHY this guy did this, just that he did it, and intended to do it.

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

Motive is not an element of crime in that the D.A. doesn't have to prove WHY this guy did this, just that he did it, and intended to do it.

Indeed, but usually they don't make a point to say this. It's a conspiracy

[4X4]

This happened to my uncle. He built a 27 unit multi-family building and hired someone to do his accounting for the project. The guy was a whiz with spreadsheets and computers in general, but a real pain in the butt to get along with. Finally my uncle decided to fire him, so the guy left and locked up all the spreadsheets on his way out.

It took a couple of weeks of "arm twisting", but the guy finally gave up the passwords.

[Cliche]

Sorry to bump this, but apparently it may be a case of highly specialized person unwilling to relinquish control in fear that lesser mortals will screw it up.

http://www.infoworld.com/archives/em...lockout_1.html

. Rather than a case of a rogue administrator attempting to cause damage to the network by locking out other administrators, this may be a case of an overprotective admin who believed he was protecting the network – and by extension, the city – from other administrators whom he considered inferior, and perhaps even dangerous

Link originally found on HARD OcP

There is a fine line in IT where an Admin is as much a social engineer as much as a network/computer engineer.

[Bobblehead]

I read that, too. It also sounds like everyone knew for months that he was the only one with access (and were fine with it) so it isn't like this was a sudden occurrence, either.