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Subject: [ISN] Man Pleads Guilty to Hacking Acxiom Corp.
From: InfoSec News <isn () c4i ! org>
Date: 2003-12-19 13:48:05
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http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,4149,1417836,00.asp
By John Nolan
Associated Press Writer
December 18, 2003
CINCINNATI (AP) - An Ohio man pleaded guilty Thursday to hacking into
computer records held by Acxiom Corp., a prominent database company
that analyzes information for many large businesses.
U.S. District Court Judge Susan Dlott accepted the guilty plea of
Daniel Baas, 25, of suburban Milford, and ordered him held without
bond pending sentencing in about two months.
Federal investigators said Baas gained unauthorized access to an
Acxiom computer server in Conway, Ark., and downloaded secret access
passwords and data files belonging to Acxiom customers from January
2001 to January 2003. Prosecutors said the hacks cost Acxiom at least
$5.8 million.
At the time, Baas worked for a Cincinnati company, Market Intelligence
Group, that had an agreement to analyze data for Acxiom.
Baas didn't share the proprietary information with anyone, although he
indicated to others that he had it, federal prosecutors said. The data
contained personal identification information, investigators said.
"He was a person who liked to retain data on people," said Robert
Behlen Jr., an assistant U.S. attorney.
Baas was motivated by curiosity to steal about 300 computer passwords
and the data files from Acxiom, but that doesn't excuse him under the
law that forbids unauthorized access to computers, defense lawyer
Timothy Smith said.
Clients of Acxiom, based in Little Rock, include credit card issuers,
banks, auto manufacturers, telecommunications companies and retailers.
The company has said about 10 percent of its customers were affected
by Baas' hacking.
Baas downloaded data from his Cincinnati office and his home, storing
it on CDs in his home. But the data was not used for criminal or
commercial purposes, U.S. Attorney Gregory Lockhart said.
The maximum sentence is five years in prison, but prosecutors said
Baas is likely to get less because he has accepted responsibility and
cooperated with investigators.
Baas also is awaiting trial on similar Ohio charges.
In exchange for Baas' plea Thursday, the government said it agreed not
to prosecute him for comments he allegedly made concerning President
Bush through Internet chat rooms. Prosecutors didn't reveal those
remarks, but said that investigators determined they did not amount to
a legitimate threat.
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