[ISN] Student wiped data worth thousands

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/2080459/Student-wiped-data-worth-thousands

By LEIGH VAN DER STOEP
Sunday Star Times
08/03/2009

A promising engineering student who deliberately deleted crucial 
information from his employer's computer backup systems cost the company 
hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost business and data recovery.

Gareth Pert, 23, nearly crippled Hamilton business Progressive 
Hydraulics while acting out of "pure vindictiveness", said company 
director Rodney Sharp.

And Sharp has warned other employers they stand to lose their life's 
work if they trust new staff and don't tighten computer security 
systems.

The specialist engineering company hired Pert while he was completing 
his degree at Waikato University two years ago. At that time its annual 
turnover was $1.5 million.

"He was a good student, that's why we employed him. He just got too big 
for his boots... He thought he was better than he was."

Pert pleaded guilty in Manukau District Court to unauthorised access of 
a system and intentional damage.

Police said the data deleted was worth more than $150,000 but the true 
cost is incalculable because of delayed or lost projects and time spent 
on recovery.

[...]


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