AMERICAN FORK — Police in American Fork have arrested a 33-year-old Orem man they say exacted revenge for being fired as a computer system administrator by changing the passwords to the server and planting a timed virus.
One e-business expert says the recent arrest just shows how one systems worker carrying all the "keys" can bring any business to its knees.
"If the company allows them to have this kind of power and authority, they can do a lot of damage," said American Fork Police Lt. Darren Falslev.
For Alma Tuck, president of Creative Internet Concepts in American Fork, the experience has been humbling and costly. "We're losing $20,000 a day," Tuck said, "and we're in our fifth day."
Tuck says his company mainly does Web hosting and online customer service to infomercial marketing companies.
The man was fired, according to Tuck, after it was discovered he was dealing in pirated digital copies of movies and TV shows. "He had the entire 'Star Wars' trilogy on the system," Tuck said. Tuck said the man was fired because he had compromised key firewalls, or security barriers, to open a public movie server.
Tuck said the server could have been used by a hacker to gain access to his company's system. "I mean, I've got credit card numbers on my system," Tuck said, adding encryption codes saved any from being stolen. "The potential loss here would have been much bigger."
Falslev said once the man was fired, around Jan. 28, he vowed revenge. "He said something bad will happen," Tuck said.
Falslev said the man allegedly hacked into the company system on his home computer Feb. 4 and re-set the computer's router to a default password.
"By doing that, it kicked him out, but it also locked out everyone else," Falslev said.
After questioning the man and consulting with computer experts, Falslev said they arrested the man on Wednesday and booked him into the Utah County Jail for investigation of computer crime, a recent statute added to Utah's criminal code that deals with cyberattacks, fraud and information theft.
But by that time the damage had just begun. Tuck said a virus known as a "Trojan" was triggered, which set off a series of programs that began deleting his company's information. Luckily, Tuck took police advice and copied the server hard drives.
One Brigham Young University professor said businesses, especially small ones, need to be very careful in hiring a competent — and trustworthy — systems administrator.
"They hold a considerable amount of power," said Stephen Liddle, associate professor of information systems and director of BYU's e-business center. "I don't think companies adequately understand their vulnerabilities, particularly with a systems administrator."
Computer aficionados have formed their own subculture. One common trait among some is a sense of superiority when it comes to computers and systems.
"Systems administrators understand the level of control they have," Liddle said. "It is like Saddam Hussein, for example. 'I am the master of this little universe here and nobody can do anything without my say-so.' "
In many large companies, key duties and server passwords are disbursed to several systems administrators in order to spread out the power, but that is a luxury small businesses don't have.
"When you're a small-business owner, you have to learn how things work," Liddle said.
Tuck said that's good advice. Given the recent blow to his company by the attack, Tuck said he is learning everything he can about how his company's computer system operates.
Liddle also recommends that companies, big and small, hire a computer security service, which can probe each port to the outside world to see what kind of information is going out, as well as coming in. It's costly, Liddle added, but the consequences could be worse.
As for Tuck, he continues to pick up the pieces of his company. Computer consultants have been brought in to build a new server. "I'm just scared of hiring another system administrator. They're just cocky, really arrogant and they feel like they just control the world," he said.
Falslev said their investigation will be forwarded to the Utah County Attorney for possible criminal charges.
Tuck said he received notice in the mail Monday that the former system administrator also had filed for unemployment benefits.
E-MAIL: gfattah@desnews.com