Student wiped data worth thousands

2009-03-10 12:12

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. [...] _______________________________________________ Best Selling Security Books and More! http://www.shopinfosecnews.org/

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