Ex-IT Consultant Shreds Government System

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Ex-IT Consultant Shreds Government System

Getting drunk after a bad romance has happened to a lot of us. What we don't do is try and "fix" the government's IT system, like one Australian did.

David Anthony McIntosh was hitting the booze heavily after his fiancee had called off their engagement. Not knowing which way to turn, he decided on the idea of showing the government how insecure its network was. One month after he resigned from his job as an IT consultant, he logged onto the government's server through his roommates account, and proceeded to show them.

The police finally caught up with him, but not before he'd deleted 10,475 employee accounts ranging across the whole of the health department, hospital, prison, and Supreme Court.

While he sits in jail, 130 experts have spent 5 days and over AUS $1.2 million restoring the system. McIntosh has pleaded guilty to the twelve charges against him.

"I'm disgusted with myself for what I did," he wrote in a letter to the court. "I did not for a second think I would end up in jail."

McIntosh will be going back to training to be a chef [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105690/] after he finishes his incarceration.

Source: Northern Territory News [http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2009/03/13/38995_ntnews.html] via The Register [http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/03/13/nt_hack_convict/]
(Image) [http://www.flickr.com/photos/eflon/2306143513/]

Permalink

 

[I III II X4]

David Anthony McIntosh

McIntosh, an IT consultant?

*rocks back in forth in his chair, grinning and laughing*

 

[fix-the-spade]

McIntosh, an IT consultant?

*rocks back in forth in his chair, grinning and laughing*

Indeed.

Well, I suppose it's one way to show your government it's IT security sucks.

 

[cainx10a]

that guy was an idiot, just try to find another girl, dont fuck up thousands of inoccent peoples lives!!!

Not the same as watching one's country ravaged by war. Then again, he might have done a good thing for his country. Time to upgrade your IT security Aussie-land =D

 

[Doug]

that guy was an idiot, just try to find another girl, dont fuck up thousands of inoccent peoples lives!!!

To be honest, it should have been on a secure backup disk - and given they restored the details, it seems they had at least a copy of them.

Regardless, it does show how crap their internet security is.

 

[SomeBritishDude]

He hacked into the system...pissed?

Either he was really, really good, or we're all doomed.

 

[Ronwue]

Hack into the system...pissed?

Either he was really, really good, or we're all doomed.

I'm inclined to say you're all doomed.

 

[Gitsnik]

The police finally caught up with him, but not before he'd deleted 10,475 employee accounts ranging across the whole of the health department, hospital, prison, and Supreme Court.

While he sits in jail, 130 experts have spent 5 days and over AUS $1.2 million restoring the system.

10,475 accounts. Assuming he's only tapped one server it's either a SQL database (what the hell is wrong with these people for not having active backups anyway!) or an AD Controller - both of which aren't that difficult to restore. So WHY is it costing us this much!!!

That said, I recall very recently listening to some government networkers try to tell me that a switch affects TTL for network hops, so maybe I shouldn't put too much store in their abilities.

Come to think of it, I know what the security guidelines are for these guys, and it's no shock he got in.

Edit: Oh yeah, and if he was drunk when doing it, and considering his previous job as a consultant, I'm inclined to think he had a lot of the work pre-done for him - security contracting is not uncommon for our government, so he probably already had most of his vulnerability assessments and what not available to him.

 

[nova18]

David Anthony McIntosh

McIntosh, an IT consultant?

*rocks back in forth in his chair, grinning and laughing*

Lol, its like a Dentist being called Mr.Tooth.

 

[RetiarySword]

Talk about going out with a bang! Most people hang themselfs but this guy pushed the boundries by screwing an entire country over!

 

[likalaruku]

Damn, what does this story remind me of? Oh yes, the fake SARS scare cellphone message in China that bankrupted the Hainan banana market.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

His roommate, Mr. Acorn, was unavailable for comment.

Oh sorry, I should have said. Ms. not Mr.

 

[Cousin_IT]

The police finally caught up with him, but not before he'd deleted 10,475 employee accounts ranging across the whole of the health department, hospital, prison, and Supreme Court.

While he sits in jail, 130 experts have spent 5 days and over AUS $1.2 million restoring the system.

10,475 accounts. Assuming he's only tapped one server it's either a SQL database (what the hell is wrong with these people for not having active backups anyway!) or an AD Controller - both of which aren't that difficult to restore. So WHY is it costing us this much!!!

Consultancy fees, 130 of them

 

[TsunamiWombat]

It's the Van Gouge reaction.

YOU DON'T LOVE ME HUH!? SO I'LL JUST CUT OFF MY FUCKING EAR/HACK THE COUNTRIES COMPUTER SYSTEMS!

 

[Rajin Cajun]

It's the Van Gouge reaction.

YOU DON'T LOVE ME HUH!? SO I'LL JUST CUT OFF MY FUCKING EAR/HACK THE COUNTRIES COMPUTER SYSTEMS!

Van Gouge? Any relation to Vincent van Gogh? Damn Dutchmen! Sorry couldn't resist having a Dutch name I feel for van Gogh since no one gets mine right either.

Anyways I would have to agree with RetiarySword most people go out like pussies and hang themselves this guy went out like a Champ and took a country with him.

 

[Brett Alex]

I had not heard a word of this in news. Of course they're all too busy discussing a state politicians nude photos from the 70's, which is infinitely more important..

 

[SenseOfTumour]

I had not heard a word of this in news. Of course they're all too busy discussing a state politicians nude photos from the 70's, which is infinitely more important..

Yeah, I'm in a minority I think, but I'd vote for the guy who fixed the economy, sorted out unemployment and education and crime, but happened to like fucking a goat twice a week, over the moral, god fearing family man who's bloody incompetent.

We keep letting morals get in the way of what they're actually in the job to do.

As for $1.2 million, unless that's Zimbabwe money, its utter balls, or some people are milking it til it squeaks.

1. Oh, some buggers deleted the files.
2. I'll put the back up tape in.
3. Ok, that's sorted, oh I'd best put in for half an hour's overtime, that'll be an extra $10.

 

[Knight Templar]

I had not heard a word of this in news. Of course they're all too busy discussing a state politicians nude photos from the 70's, which is infinitely more important..

Personaly I think "Drunk hacks the into Australia and removes 10,475 people" would be an eye catcher.