An America Online customer service rep illicitly surfs the company's customer database, ferrets out private data on celebrity members and then hunts them down online under a false identity, seeking fame and fortune in Hollywood. Sound like a prelude to prison? Not in the case of Heather Robinson. The former AOL employee managed to parlay privacy violations into useful contacts in Hollywood. With the help of those contacts, Robinson, 25, landed a movie deal, and she's using her toehold in the industry to advance another. . . .. An America Online customer service rep illicitly surfs the company's customer database, ferrets out private data on celebrity members and then hunts them down online under a false identity, seeking fame and fortune in Hollywood. Sound like a prelude to prison? Not in the case of Heather Robinson. The former AOL employee managed to parlay privacy violations into useful contacts in Hollywood. With the help of those contacts, Robinson, 25, landed a movie deal, and she's using her toehold in the industry to advance another. Later this week, Universal Pictures will start filming Robinson's first movie, The Perfect Man, a romantic comedy staring Hillary Duff and Heather Locklear. The film is about a teenage daughter who tries to create a "nonexistent boyfriend for her dejected mother," Robinson said. The story is based on another of her youthful indiscretions when she was 16 -- this one involving a stolen credit card and thousands of dollars of purchases. Some would say it takes Robinson's level of moxie to succeed in Hollywood. In fact, the favorite legend in the movie business is that of a hard-working kid who starts in the mail room and through ambition, flexible ethical standards and political skill becomes a mogul. Judging by her exploits so far, Robinson is well on her way. "Although she's, at best, a scam artist, you have to grudgingly admire this young woman," said Mark Ebner, co-author of Hollywood, Interrupted, a book in which Robinson's exploits get a chapter. "In a town of liars,cheats and thieves, it's small wonder she's been welcomed." The link for this article located at wired.com is no longer available. . A former telecom technician accidentally breaches user confidentiality, triggering a storm of political intrigue and media frenzy. Dive into this intricate story of ethics vs ambition. Privacy Breach, Hollywood Success, Data Ethics. . LinuxSecurity.com Team
Online electronics and computer retailer Egghead.com acknowledged Friday that the company's servers were hacked by network intruders and an undetermined number of credit cards numbers were potentially stolen. "Egghead.com has discovered that a hacker has accessed our computer systems, potentially including . . . . Online electronics and computer retailer Egghead.com acknowledged Friday that the company's servers were hacked by network intruders and an undetermined number of credit cards numbers were potentially stolen. "Egghead.com has discovered that a hacker has accessed our computer systems, potentially including our customer databases," the company said in a statement early Friday. "As a precautionary measure, we have taken immediate steps to protect our customers by contacting the credit-card companies we work with." Sources inside the credit card industry said Egghead may warn up to 3.7 million credit card holders that their numbers may have been stolen. In October, Egghead said it had 3.6 million registered users. The link for this article located at News.com is no longer available. . TechNest.org reports data leak; thousands of accounts possibly exposed. Urgent safety protocols activated.. Data Breach, Credit Card Theft, Ecommerce Security. . LinuxSecurity.com Team
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