[ISN] Experts Say Lax Security Allowed San Francisco Network Hijacking, Admin Offers Passwords

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/07/former-san-fran.html

By David Kravets 
Threat Level
Wired.com
July 17, 2008

SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco's "rogue" computer admin accused of 
commandeering the city's exclusive network passwords has offered to hand 
them over, his attorney said Thursday.

The jailed defendant, Terry Childs, 43, pleaded not guilty Thursday to 
four felony counts of denying access to the city's network and of 
producing an unauthorized access device to control the government's 
network remotely.

Childs is being held on $5 million bail, as the authorities fear he 
could unleash a wave of attacks on the FiberWAN system Childs built. It 
controls the city's e-mails, payroll, law enforcement records and other 
data.

Security officials said the hijacking could have been avoided had the 
city undertaken proper security measures.

Childs' attorney, Erin Crane, said that the ordeal is one "big 
misunderstanding."

"As the case unfolds, you'll see that," Crane said. "He's been willing 
to hand over the passwords since Tuesday."

[...]


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