[ISN] State worker acquitted of hacking government computer

[InfoSec News]

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050203/APN/502030742

The Associated Press
February 03, 2005

A state worker has been acquitted of charges of hacking into a
computer system at the Department of Social Services in 1999.

A state district court jury returned the verdict in favor of Andrew
Mata on Wednesday.

Prosecutors accused Mata of illegally entering the system and
upgrading his own access. After he left DSS for a job with the
Department of Health and Hospitals, Social Services personnel lowered
Mata's access to their computer records.

The alleged crime - offenses against intellectual property - occurred
when Mata, using the codes of a Social Services computer worker, got
back into the computer systems and restored his previous access,
prosecutors said.

But Mata testified he broke no laws and changed his access in the DSS
computer back to where he thought it should have been and went to work
on major projects related to the anticipated Y2K crisis. He said he
was supposed to have the same status on both the DSS and DHH systems.

The charge, which was filed against Mata in May 2001, carried up to
five years in prison.