Lamo's Hack on Times Network: Severe Security Breach Analysis

Lamo recently broke into the Times computer network, where he co-opted contact-information files as well as sensitive details of the news-gathering and editing process at the Times. His tear through the Gray Lady's closet even gave him the ability to change . . . Lamo recently broke into the Times computer network, where he co-opted contact-information files as well as sensitive details of the news-gathering and editing process at the Times. His tear through the Gray Lady's closet even gave him the ability to change the Web site at one of the world's most powerful media organizations with a few key strokes -- an option he didn't exercise. Lamo then contacted computer-security publication Security Focus Online and asked it to contact the Times on his behalf to outline the breach.

This isn't Lamo's first conquest. In September, 2001, he hacked into the content servers at Yahoo! -- and actually did alter a news story to demonstrate that he was capable of breaching security. A month later, he hacked customer-information databases at software powerhouse Microsoft. In December, 2001, he gained access to secret network-topography diagrams at voice-and-data carrier WorldCom, going so far as to e-mail company officials a supposedly secret file showing key locations of network equipment.

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