Slashdot Mirror
Withhold Passwords From Your Employer, Go To Jail?
ericgoldman writes "Terry Childs was a network engineer in San Francisco, and he was the only employee with passwords to the network. After he was fired, he withheld the passwords from his former employer, preventing his employer from controlling its own network. Recently, a California appeals court upheld his conviction for violating California's computer crime law, including a 4 year jail sentence and $1.5 million of restitution. The ruling (PDF) provides a good cautionary tale for anyone who thinks they can gain leverage over their employer or increase job security by controlling key passwords."
good, justice served. usually I'm on the employee's side of things, but perp committed a crime, it's stealing, sabotage and extortion to do that
Seriously, fuck him. Having been on the receiving end of this kind of crap before, I'm fine with this clown going to jail. A public beating wouldn't disappoint me either.
People who set things up so they're the only ones who can make it work need to face the same kinds of penalties for malpractice in other fields. There is nothing that will make me get rid of an employee faster than job security shenanigans.
When you lose your job as a bus driver, you have to return the ignition keys to the vehicle. Duh.
Another sensationalist headline which suggests a far different story than the one in the actual story.
except that nobody ever loses their job as a bus driver. public unions ftw!
A password is not property, it's information. If my employer or ex-employer wants access to my accounts they can reset my password. I'll never divulge it to them.