N.Y. Times source database hacked

MSNBC.com ^ | 2/27/02 | Bob Sullivan

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

— A computer security researcher accessed internal New York Times computer networks this week through the Internet and managed to view hundreds of sensitive Times files. Among them: a database of 3,000 Times op-ed page contributors. The file contained Social Security numbers and other personal information belonging to luminaries like James Carville, James Baker, Larry Lessig, and Robert Redford. The researcher also got phone numbers for William F. Buckley Jr., Rush Limbaugh, Warren Beatty and Jimmy Carter. In a statement , the New York Times said it is investigating the problem.

Click here for complete article.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

I hope for the NY Times' sake that the likes of James Carville, James Baker, Larry Lessig, and Robert Redford, William F. Buckley Jr., Rush Limbaugh, Warren Beatty and Jimmy Carter all are aware that their personal info is in the NY Times database.

[camle]

I'd love to see CarVILE the victim of ID theft!

[eureka!]

Check this one out and what BloodySamRoberts said at Reply No. 1....

[counterrevolutionary]

I hope for the NY Times' sake that the likes of James Carville, James Baker, Larry Lessig, and Robert Redford, William F. Buckley Jr., Rush Limbaugh, Warren Beatty and Jimmy Carter all are aware that their personal info is in the NY Times database.

It sounds like they had information they needed to pay contributors (e.g., Social Security numbers), and phone numbers for potential sources.

In other words, just the information you would expect a newspaper to have.

Questions of liability would probably center around whether the paper was negligent in protecting that information.

[lelio]

What's the NYT doing with SSNs? Oh wait that number's used by practically everyone.

[Senator_Blutarski]

OK, which one of you Freepers did this, and when will the contents be posted on FR?

[APBaer]

"phone numbers for....Jimmy Carter"

Er...who would want to call Jimmy Carter?

[lelio]

I read the article a little more and "personal information" could just mean a phone number. Could get that from a contact address book.
The hacker, Lamo, again used poorly configured proxy servers to get inside a company's network. He did before to yahoo.com. I like it!

[Free the USA]

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