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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."

4 of 1,082 comments (clear)

  1. Re:This is why... by Atrox666 · · Score: 0, Troll

    I have to leave the premises in a reasonable amount of time or it is considered trespassing. Right after I get my crap is when I deem it reasonable. Depriving someone of the use of their property is the definition of THEFT. It's been tried on me before but no one has ever dared place a hand on me because they know they will be crippled for the rest of their life the moment they touch me. You could sue but that's small compensation for living for the rest of your life with tubes sticking out of you.

  2. Re:The perfect litmus test Well, this guy just by davidsyes · · Score: 0, Troll

    gave more ore rejuvenated ammunition to send people to Guantanamo-like facilities. Except, being citizens, but still considered "ter'rist", he probably can be subject to torture. I bet that guy IS NOT trained in resisting torture.

    San Francisco is NOT just a city services government, but a COUNTY, too. Probably as burdened if not more than LA City & LA County, meaning a LOT of underserved, needy, and numerous other social and revenue services could be under duress. What's that import film I saw when a bad guy asked furiously of another bad guy, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?", which elicited the response, "Oh, what's a little torture?".

    Probably the other problem is this guy MIGHT have been a union member (I don't know at what level SF's IT are exempt or become non-union), but often it is HARD to legitimately purge slackers or even dangerous types from union protection. Short of arson or murder or paedophelia, a LOT of unions will fight tooth and nail out of position rather than practicality. OTOH, it seems that guy either had personal issues for which he could NOT be fired, or he has goods/bads on the staff and that knowledge makes/made them too fearful to fire him. Maybe he had/has too much intimate, embarrassing knowledge about shitty financials, inadequate security, knowledge of moles, narcs/CI (confidential informants), and resettled/refugee types of residents records. If this guy is quirky, but too hot too handle, he might emerge from this relatively untouchable if he gives up the passwords and discloses ALL of his booby-traps, disarms and then becomes a consultant of some sort for the entire state... Oh, the irony of things...

    --
    Previously: "Linux... Toward the Sunrise..." Now: "Linux... Toward the-- No, now, part of Every Sunrise"
  3. Re:Backups? by sgt_doom · · Score: 0, Troll
    Speaking of disingenuousness, stmfreak, you are describing a neocon criminal bunch which has focused on extracting wealth, not creating wealth, over the preceding 28 years - at least in America!

    The first action that Adolph Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Ronald Reagan performed upon taking power was to create an office of privatization, which was really an organization for piratization.

    They have a sociopathic mindset of never amortizing anything, never rebuilding, nor even attending to the infrastructure, and creating such garbage as the Commodity Futures Modernization Act, which is a mandate for the criminal manipulation of markets (examine Sections 2d, 2e, 2f, 2g, 2h, etc., and compare the ownership and patterns of market rigging, wash sales, and so on, among the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), ICE Futures, and TradeSpark).

  4. Re:Backups? by Marxist+Hacker+42 · · Score: 1, Troll

    Professionalism is just lies told to those who can't handle the truth. It's beneath the dignity of any intelligent person, just like tact. If you can't tell the truth, or can't handle hearing the truth, you shouldn't have your job to begin with.

    Sometimes you just have to destroy everything to get people to listen. If your bosses are being "unprofessional" towards you, then you have the right, nay, the DUTY to retaliate.

    --
    SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.