Comments on: System admin steals 20,000 items from work

By: static

static — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 03:12:21 +0000

Perhaps the volume of items, and value where inflate, to get the guy to plead to lesser charges? In the event the dude was give his old lady a hard time, he lead to his own downfall. Reminds me of the JC song one piece at a time. The USN wouldn’t miss one little piece.

By: Membrane

Membrane — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 01:50:29 +0000

I wonder how much of that stuff was outdated juink they were pitching.
As for finding sensitive info on drives and media I had that happen before in stuff I got in auctions even medical data though I choose to simply erase it.

By: gabe

gabe — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 01:45:46 +0000

what are we hacking on this post exactly?

By: sopolev

sopolev — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:55:42 +0000

It’s a stretch to call a floppy or CD ‘equipment’, but still…

I got 2 30GB notebook HDDs off ebay a couple of years ago – supposedly refurbs. Imagine my surprise when they booted up into a fresh OEM image of W2K custom built for the Navy, complete with MS Office, DiskKeeper, EDS-built DOD policy management and cusomtized IE branding for the Navy/Marine Corps Intranet!

I found the security contact at NMCI and reported it. After the initial ‘we’re very interested’ response, nothing more.

This guy had been selling on ebay for a couple of years with 100% feedback. wonder where all those goods came from?

By: BigD145

BigD145 — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:48:33 +0000

The Navy is not as wasteful as some would believe. They still use very old ships and equipment. Stuff that’s outdated and faulty. Some gets ‘donated’ to the coast guard.

By: hoax

hoax — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:45:16 +0000

I can see how this could be an issue since the military is required (legally I believe) to use the DMRO system to dispose of excess goods. But as a civilian, several companies I’ve worked for give the excess away to the IT staff because the cost of disposing of it properly (recycler) is MORE than it costs to just write it off the books and give it away. I can’t say that I’ve gotten quite this much stuff, but I have gotten a pickup truck at a time when we clean out our storage lockers. I’ve used the better parts and sold/given away what I could not use myself. I don’t see this as any terrible crime, I’m helping people who couldn’t afford the equipment outright and saving it from filling a landfill.

By: strider_mt2k

strider_mt2k — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:14:33 +0000

This isn’t going to work everywhere, but the last manufacturing place I worked at I was able to get a ton of gear simply by asking the CEO for it.
He’d look the stuff over and say yay or nay.
it was always trash so it was always yay.

Play it straight with folks and you may be surprised what happens.

I was able to get enough parts and access to a machine shop to build a pretty cool wheeled rov.

I also worked there for a few months short of ten years.

By: WestfW

WestfW — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 08:19:11 +0000

I hope my employer never decides the junk I’ve pulled out of trash cans and dumpsters is “stolen.”

By: freezd

freezd — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 04:30:45 +0000

All I can say is, LOL.

By: MRE

MRE — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 03:28:08 +0000

for everyone who complains that this is not a hack, and they are sick of all the nonhacks…
please note that, in fact, there was *a hack* posted today, as there is everyday.
It is hack-a-day… as it to imply that there will be at least one hack posted, and there was. everything else is *bonus material* for hacker minds. If hackaday was ONLY hacks.. it would be booring.. with exactly one post per day, no more, no less. I personally like the bonus posts myself, as do a lot of people. get over it.

as for the topic, I too wonder how much of this was simply pre-emptive dumpster diving. the idea that many businesses have that you are stealing if you take from the trash is totally rediculous. If you want something permanantly destroyed (ie sensative data) then dispose of it properly. put it in the circular bin however, and its fair game for anyone. some of us have bigger pickup trucks than others ;)

My brother has an entire cubical wall set (actually, 3 sets), PCs, UPSs, PLCs, etc etc.. all pre-emptive dumpster dives..

By: icefox

icefox — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:10:29 +0000

Well you need to remember that floppy discs were worth more back then. Also, I don’t think that picture is really what he took. 7.6 items a day, and he was stealing discs, hard drives, and other equipment. I see how it could be valued at $1.6 million.

By: m@!

m@! — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 23:40:19 +0000

it makes me laugh that the navy is actually concerned with this… they are probably one of the most wasteful branches the united states has. “well, this ship is outdated and needs to be put out of commission. what should we do with it sir?”

“blow it up”

By: jproach

jproach — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 23:18:17 +0000

Gabe, please bookmark this link http://hackaday.com/category/daily/

By: Russell Williams

Russell Williams — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 22:01:30 +0000

Isn’t is always a woman that takes you down?

By: snide

snide — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 21:45:59 +0000

If you pay $250K for a report, and it’s on one CD, that CD is worth $250K. Only way I could think of to get the total this high.