[ISN] Prosecutor resigns over hacked PC

[InfoSec News]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/10/13/dutch_prosecutor_hacked/

By Jan Libbenga
13th October 2004 

A leading Dutch prosecuter resigned yesterday after hackers entered
his mail box and revealed yet another classified letter addressed to
the public prosecutor's office.

This was the second security lapse in recent days for Joost Tonino, a
specialist prosecutor in white collar crime. Just last week Tonino was
left red faced after it emerged he had put his old PC out with the
trash. The hard disk, which should have been destroyed, contained
hundreds of pages of confidential information about high profile
cases, as well as his credit card number, social security number and
personal tax files.

A taxi driver who discovered the PC decided to sell the information to
a Dutch TV crime reporter, who last week revealed on Dutch television
what was on the hard disk. The reporter also managed to open his email
box. Although Tonino changed his password immediately after this
painful incident, Dutch hackers were able to get access his mail box
and published yet another letter by Tonino on a Dutch weblog. In this
letter Tonino downplayed the importance of the information found on
his PC, claiming "it was material of little importance".

Although Dutch Justice Minister Piet Hein Donner did not intend to
prosecute Tonino, the top justice official decided to resign as public
prosecutor yesterday, because he believed his dignity had been
compromised. Tonino says he will accept another job at the public
prosecutor's office.