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Disgruntled Engineer Hijacks San Francisco's Computer System
ceswiedler writes "A disgruntled software engineer has hijacked San Francisco's new multimillion-dollar municipal computer system. When the Department of Technology tried to fire him, he disabled all administrative passwords other than his own. He was taken into custody but has so far refused to provide the password, and the department has yet to regain admin access on their own. They're worried that he or an associate might be able to destroy hundreds of thousands of sensitive documents, including emails, payroll information, and law enforcement documents."
With backups no data will be lost. Oh, those are encrypted?
Next thing you know, we'll have some dinosaurs on the Presidio.
Give me my job back and you get your passwords, otherwise I'll just post how I did it on slashdot
Is what I say ...
Large municipal department of technology seeking software engineer for a multimillion-dollar computer system. At least 5 years of previous experience required. Must be able to gain administrative access to a system where the password is not known. Hiring immediately!
I've been in a position to do this (I was still rooted from home in three systems, and though they changed the passwords, they didn't kick active sessions) and all I did was change the MOTD to "When firing a user with root access, make sure to abort existing sessions."
Professionalism is key if you expect to be trusted with access to big sexy systems.
ad logicam Claiming a proposition is false because it was presented as the conclusion of a fallacious argument.
Thats why you run unpatched windows, it will take only 4 minutes to get access.
Number one rule in IT. If i have PHYSICAL access to a system i can get in. Some way, some how.
Government Agency rule number one: If I have PHYSICAL access to a criminal, I can get information. Some way, some how.
From TFA: "Prosecutors say Childs, who works in the Department of Technology at a base salary of just over $126,000"
No wonder he was disgruntled, that's not even a living wage in San Francisco.
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Nah, they should just reboot the system. That always works, I've seen it countless times in movies.
So your employer has the right to look at your genitals whenever he wants? I'm glad I'm not your employer.
What do you recommend they do next time, use a crystal ball or ouija board to predict who's going to pull such a stunt?
Minority Report for system administration activities? Sweet! ;-)
Conservatism: (n.) love of the existing evils. Liberalism: (n.) desire to substitute new evils for the existing ones.
+1 worrying ;-)
[...] trusted with access to big sexy systems.
Mmm, fat chicks... <drool>
"going municipal"?
bickerdyke
I think that answers the question.
To say nothing of the obvious error in step 4.
...no need to hold the passowrd holder out the window by his ankles 'til he squeals.
Yeah, but it's fun!
"16MB (fuck off, MiB fascists)" - The Mighty Buzzard
Nah, they should just reboot the system. That always works, I've seen it countless times in movies.
no, no, no..... You have to ESCAPE the system. What movie's you been watchin'?
Well, if they had nothing to hide then they have nothing to worry about right?
"Gold still represents the ultimate form of payment in the world." - Alan Greenspan, 1999
It only works when you have to run past a pack of Raptors.
Meh, just use the password cracker that figures out one letter at a time. It takes half a minute, tops.
Yes, I've heard something along the lines of 'the Republican party say that government doesnt work, and when they get elected they try to prove it'
If we can put a man on the moon, why can't we shoot people for Apollo-related non-sequiturs?
Step 1: make bomb
Step 2: go to spice market
Step 3: asplode self and random shoppers
Step 4: Prophet
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
...the police did give the codes back, but now the city is mysteriously spending 20% more on police salarys.
Use your head, can't you, use your head,
You're on earth, there's no cure for that - S. Beckett
Unless they are totally incompetent
They couldn't event successfully fire the guy.
-- Firefox isn't as as great as people claim it is.
When I was still in college I had heard of a programmer at one of the nearby companies had rigged the payroll system she wrote. I guess they hired her on little more than a vocal agreement and fired her after they thought the job was finished. Oddly enough she thought she had a long term job, go figure. Anyway, her payroll system was setup to payout $100,000 checks to every employee on payday one month after her name was off the rolls. Suffice it to say they had to hire her back with real terms of employment and she made them follow through with their previous agreement as well.
Just remember, capitalism is a dog eat dog system. If you don't protect yourself, no one else will. Business and government are notorious for screwing people when its convenient and even when its not, even those they depend upon. Just remember, even if you have a glowing employee record, there's always going to be some prick above or even below you that can intentionally or unintentionally mess things up, that's when you don't do it yourself.
What the heck is an unsuccessful attempt to fire?
Especially if he's the only guy who knows what he's doing.
Paul, is that you? Could you come to Meeting Room 1 for an important staff meeting. Ignore John standing behind you with that box, he's just collecting them to build a fort.
Sig? SIG? We don't need no stinkin' sig!!!
He should be waterboarded. He'll give up those passwords REAL quick.
Yes, but that involves a perilous trip through the cavernous sub-basement to some rarely touched master reboot switch, and while the system is restarting all the perimeter fences will be de-electrified and the motion sensors inactive. In movies, this situation inevitably leads to lots of screaming and mayhem.
He who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me.
I know a guy who has a similar story, except he said something that amounted to, " I'm now a consultant, please add a zero to what you were paying me and I'll gladly come in and change the password on your system."
I'm glad you're my employee ;). Now show me your genitals
I'm glad you're mine. Now get back to work.
Here it is...
Dear Mr. Baker,
As an employee of an institution of higher education, I have few very basic expectations. Chief among these is that my direct superiors have an intellect that ranges above the common ground squirrel. After your consistent and annoying harassment of my co-workers and me during our commission of duties, I can only surmise that you are one of the few true genetic wastes of our time.
Asking me, a network administrator, to explain every nuance of everything I do each time you happen to stroll into my office is not only a waste of time, but also a waste of precious oxygen. I was hired because I know how to network computer systems, and you were apparently hired to provide amusement to your employees, who watch you vainly attempt to understand the concept of "cut and paste" as it is explained to you for the hundredth time.
You will never understand computers. Something as incredibly simple as binary still gives you too many options. You will also never understand why people hate you, but I am going to try and explain it to you, even though I am sure this will be just as effective as telling you what an IP is. Your shiny new iMac has more personality than you ever will.
You wander around the building all day, shiftlessly seeking fault in others. You have a sharp dressed, useless look about you that may have worked for your interview, but now that you actually have responsibility, you pawn it off on overworked staff, hoping their talent will cover for your glaring ineptitude. In a world of managerial evolution, you are the blue-green algae that everyone else eats and laughs at. Managers like you are a sad proof of the Dilbert principle.
Seeing as this situation is unlikely to change without you getting a full frontal lobotomy reversal, I am forced to tender my resignation; however, I have a few parting thoughts:
When someone calls you in reference to employment, it is illegal for you to give me a bad recommendation as I have consistently performed my duties and even more. The most you can say to hurt me is, "I prefer not to comment." To keep you honest, I will have friends randomly call you over the next couple of years, because I know you would be unable to do it on your own.
I have all the passwords to every account on the system and I know every password you have used for the last five years. If you decide to get cute, I will publish your "Favorites," which I conveniently saved when you made me "back up" your useless files. I do believe that terms like "Lolita" are not viewed favorably by the university administrations.
When you borrowed the digital camera to "take pictures of your mother's b-day," you neglected to mention that you were going to take nude pictures of yourself in the mirror. Then, like the techno-moron you are, you forgot to erase them. Suffice it to say, I have never seen such odd acts with a ketchup bottle. I assure you that those photos are being kept in safe places pending your authoring of a glowing letter of recommendation. (And, for once, would you please try to use spellcheck? I hate correcting your mistakes.)
I expect the letter of recommendation on my desk by 8:00 am tomorrow. One word of this to anybody and all of your twisted little repugnant obsessions will become public knowledge. Never f*ck with your systems administrator, Mr. Baker! They know what you do with all that free time!
Sincerely
David Blocker
Network Administrator
For a small amount you can own the only password to SAN FRANSISCO computer systems.
starting bid: $500,000.00
They couldn't event successfully fire the guy
Irony, thy name is jason.sweet.
1. declare him a terrorist
2. torture him
3. ???? [redacted for national security reasons]
4. password!
They should have put him in the basement and stopped paying him.
I understand the fatal mistake was taking his red stapler.
Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
They basically told me that if I didn't give them my password I was fired. I absolutely REFUSED. Never do you ever need to have someone give you their password. A so-called security expert should know this.
So eventually I drove over there, typed in my password for them, and drove back to my office. They didn't find anything, obviously, and I got the machine back completely wiped two weeks later.
What you should have done was give them some random string of gibberish (write it down and keep it yourself so you can repeat the same exact string when asked again). They still won't be able to get in. Finally, when you have to go over there and help them, pull out that little piece of paper and type that random gibberish in again. When you also get access denied, repeat a few times more slowly. Then finally turn around and look at the idiots and say "You broke it!".
now we need to go OSS in diesel cars
Hey, I have a FANTASTIC idea: lets let the goverment run our healthcare! I'm told it is the land of milk and honey.
Oh please Italy has had RI since before I was born.
Sorry, teleporters just kill you and then make a copy. A perfect, soul-less copy.
Hey AC.
Not very insightful at all. I thought it would be pretty obvious to infer the following from my post:
- That I was an Admin
- That web mail and general internet surfing was not banned
- That there was no written procedure to go through; this guy was just a schmuck
- Obviously it was the work PC. It was easier saying "My PC" than "The PC that sits at my desk that I use every day which was designated for my use during the work day."
The PC was connected to OUR domain, at our department. By taking the PC to their office, which I firewalled from ours (we had patch management, software deployment, locked down PC's; a fully managed system - they still have Win95 machines running) so they couldn't login to our domain.
I was asked for the "Administrator" password first. I told them that it was Vista, and that I never assigned one to "Administrator." They didn't believe me. Eventually they asked for my password, which I didn't give them.
You're as much of a moron as they are.
- It's not the Macs I hate. It's Digg users. -
Damp matches.
Unless there was the possibility of the general public finding out of course. Does anyone seriously thing WW2 tactics mentioned by parent would fly in today's government? I mean ... we're at WAR and the news papers were (and to a large degree still are) more interested in individual casualty counts than progress being made.
Now, as long as the TLA's are assure they won't get called out...they'll gladly keep this a secret.
The real problem is the password is probably stupid/embarassing '1.l0v3.g@y-t33n@ge^b0yZ' or similar. I think i'd rather sit in jail at that point too.
You can get rich if you own a politician, but you have to be rich to buy one in the first place.
Actually I ended up being heavily involved in the death throes of the company as the proxy of the one partner who I liked. Miserable experience. They made his life a living hell, and mine slightly hellish by association.
Two months after they folded the same jackass who fired me tried to offer me a partnership deal for some software app that I was supposed to write from the ground up for him to market through his shady incestuous contacts with the local government.
Despite the half-hearted "Maybe we shouldn't have treated you like shit" apology, and the recent glaring example of what a monumentally stupid thing it would be to get involved with them on any level greater than a mere employee, I managed a polite, "No thank you" and I haven't heard from the bastards since.
ad logicam Claiming a proposition is false because it was presented as the conclusion of a fallacious argument.