http://www.tcpalm.com/tcp/local_news/article/0,1651,TCP_16736_3137204,00.html By Derek Simmonsen staff writer August 26, 2004 FORT PIERCE -- The FBI is investigating whether someone broke into the police chief's computer and distributed his e-mails to the public. The investigation began in late July after copies of e-mails apparently written by Chief Eugene Savage to his secretary, Rosetta Smith, were sent anonymously in the mail to several people, police spokeswoman Audria Moore said Wednesday. Copies were sent to Savage and Smith, as well as to members of the news media and some City Hall employees. It is not clear if the e-mails were legitimate or forgeries, she said. "We don't know if these e-mails came from here, if they were retrieved from our records," Moore said. After a brief internal investigation, the police department asked the FBI to take over the investigation. Special Agent Judy Orihuela, an FBI spokeswoman, said she could not comment on the investigation. The e-mails appeared to contain allegations of a personal nature regarding Savage and Smith, according to those who viewed the e-mails. In a written statement, Savage said allegations in the e-mails have "no foundation." "This is a personal attack on my character and I am seeking a personal legal solution against the person(s) disseminating the damaging information," he wrote. Savage and Smith turned their copies of the e-mails over to the FBI, Moore said. Fort Pierce officials expressed support for Savage and concern that police department computers -- and possibly city computers -- could be hacked. "It appears that someone illegally hacked a police department computer and is removing information from that computer," said City Manager Dennis Beach. "An investigation into how that happened is under way." Beach, who said he spoke briefly to Savage on Wednesday about the possible computer security breach, said he has full confidence in the chief. The lapse in computer security remains worrisome, he said. "There's certainly sensitive, or should I say, confidential information in (city computers)," Beach said. "If a hacker is successful in getting into (a police department computer), he could be successful in getting into another and could wreak havoc, if he's inclined to do so." Commissioner R. "Duke" Nelson said he was shown a transcript of the e-mails this week. "I don't know how valid they are," he said. "There was nothing on them that indicated that they were valid. "I have the utmost confidence in Chief Savage and in the police department," Nelson said. "We'll have to wait and see what the investigation reveals." _________________________________________ Open Source Vulnerability Database (OSVDB) Everything is Vulnerable - http://www.osvdb.org/
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