Friday, August 12, 2005

Computer Theft Case Shows Database Perils

An AP newwire article by David Hammer, via Yahoo! News, reports that:

On the hunt for a hacker two years ago, security officials at data management company Acxiom Corp. discovered that an Internet address at one of its clients' contractors was taking far more data than it should have.

The e-mail marketing contractor, Florida-based Snipermail.com, gathered contact information and sent bulk-email advertisements and sweepstakes offers on behalf of advertisers. But downloading 1.6 billion customer records — the equivalent of 550 telephone books filled with names, e-mail and postal addresses — wasn't part of the job.

Prosecutors say the company and its owner, Scott Levine, were stealing the data from Acxiom servers for its own purposes.

On Friday, a federal jury in Little Rock was continuing its deliberations on 144 federal theft, conspiracy, money laundering and obstruction charges against Levine. Six other Snipermail employees pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges and testified against Levine in the case.

The computer theft case is considered the largest the U.S. government has prosecuted to date.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home