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Sysadmin Gets Two Years In Prison For Sabotaging ISP (bleepingcomputer.com)
After being let go over a series of "personal issues" with his employer, things got worse for 26-year-old network administrator Dariusz J. Prugar, who will now have to spend two years in prison for hacking the ISP where he'd worked.
An anonymous reader writes: Prugar had used his old credentials to log into the ISP's network and "take back" some of the scripts and software he wrote... "Seeking to hide his tracks, Prugar used an automated script that deleted various logs," reports Bleeping Computer. "As a side effect of removing some of these files, the ISP's systems crashed, affecting over 500 businesses and over 5,000 residential customers."
When the former ISP couldn't fix the issue, they asked Prugar to help. "During negotiations, instead of requesting money as payment, Prugar insisted that he'd be paid using the rights to the software and scripts he wrote while at the company, software which was now malfunctioning, a week after he left." This tipped off the company, who detected foul play, contacted the FBI and rebuilt its entire network.
Six years later, Prugar was found guilty after a one-week jury trial, and was ordered by the judge to pay $26,000 in restitution to the ISP (which went out of business in October of 2015). Prugar's two-year prison sentence begins December 27.
When the former ISP couldn't fix the issue, they asked Prugar to help. "During negotiations, instead of requesting money as payment, Prugar insisted that he'd be paid using the rights to the software and scripts he wrote while at the company, software which was now malfunctioning, a week after he left." This tipped off the company, who detected foul play, contacted the FBI and rebuilt its entire network.
Six years later, Prugar was found guilty after a one-week jury trial, and was ordered by the judge to pay $26,000 in restitution to the ISP (which went out of business in October of 2015). Prugar's two-year prison sentence begins December 27.
They left an account open for him after he left. He should have just taken a copy before he left, or not even bothered with cleaning up the logs (they obviously would have taken the time to notice).
I don't think the punishment fits the crime here through. A few years in jail for being an idiot. It also kills any chance of employment later with that criminal record. It sounds like a shitty ISP anyway.
The reality is, code is the collective memory of a programmer. Most software devs always keep copies of their work, usually not to resell or reuse (you can't and shouldn't, unless you're an idiot and want to end up like this guy), but more as a reference (How did I do that? I had an example somewhere).
He should have just taken a copy before he left
He didn't take a copy. He took them. No copy.
I don't think the punishment fits the crime here through. A few years in jail for being an idiot.
For being an idiot? How about for maliciously damaging a business both in terms of physical infrastructure and in reputation? How about the knock on effects on the 500 businesses? If you got fired from McDonalds and to get back at them you decided to burn your former store to the ground do you think it should just be met with a slap on the wrist?
It also kills any chance of employment later with that criminal record.
He didn't need a record for that. Just the warning sign "I attempted to destroy my former employer because they fired me" would do it by itself. Even if he didn't have a criminal record, who would hire him?
It sounds like a shitty ISP anyway.
Based on what? Based on an employee leaving? Or based on taking legal action against someone who (may have actually) destroyed your business?
Arrested for theft? Not really.... they could sue for copyright infringement though.