Press Release
For Immediate Release
January 8, 2004
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U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney
Southern District of New York
James B. Comey
Contact: Marvin, Smilon, Herbert Hadad,
Michael Kulstad
Public Information Office
(212) 637-2600
Mark F. Mendelsohn
(212) 637-2487
FBI
Joseph A. Valiquette
James, Margolin
(212) 384-2715, 2720
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DAVID N. KELLEY, the United States Attorney for the Southern District
of New York, and PASQUALE D'AMURO, the Assistant Director in Charge of
the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced
that ADRIAN LAMO pled guilty today in Manhattan federal court before United
States District Judge NAOMI REICE BUCHWALD to hacking into the internal
computer network of the New York Times.
According to a one-count criminal Information filed today and a previously
filed criminal Complaint, on February 26, 2002, LAMO hacked into the New
York Times' internal computer network and accessed a database containing
personal information (including home telephone numbers and Social Security
numbers) for more than 3,000 contributors to the New York Times' Op-Ed
page.
As described in the Information and Complaint, soon after being notified
of the computer intrusion, the New York Times conducted an internal investigation
and confirmed that an intruder had in fact hacked into its network and
accessed the personal information for contributors to the Op-Ed page.
In addition, according to the Complaint, the Times determined that the
intruder had added an entry to that database for "Adrian Lamo,"
listing personal information including LAMO's cellular telephone number
(415) 505-HACK, and a description of his areas of expertise as "computer
hacking, national security, communications intelligence."
The Complaint and Information state that the New York Times later learned
that while inside its internal network, LAMO had set up five fictitious
user identification names and passwords ("userids/passwords")
under the New York Times' account with LexisNexis, an online subscription
service that provides legal, news and other information for a fee. As
detailed in the Complaint, over a three-month period, those five fictitious
userids/passwords conducted more than 3,000 searches on LexisNexis; in
the month of February 2002, the five userids/passwords conducted approximately
18% of all searches performed under the New York Times account, the Complaint
alleged.
According to the Information and Complaint, the unauthorized LexisNexis
searches included searches for "Adrian Lamo"; searches for other
individuals with the last name "Lamo"; searches using the Northern
California home address of LAMO's parents; searches for various reputed
hackers; and searches for various known associates of LAMO.
As described in the Complaint, in an interview with a reporter from an
online publication called "SecurityFocus.Com" on February 26,
2002, LAMO admitted that he was responsible for the New York Times intrusion.
According to the Information, following its discovery of LAMO's unauthorized
intrusion, the New York Times was required to take numerous remedial and
corrective measures to restore the integrity and proper functioning of
its computer systems.
In addition, the Complaint also identifies a series of other computer
intrusions for which LAMO has acknowledged responsibility in interviews
with members of the press. In some instances, according to the Complaint,
LAMO personally admitted responsibility for the computer intrusion to
representatives of the victimized company, explaining how he hacked their
computer network, and providing corroboration that he was, in fact, the
intruder. The other intrusions, and the approximate dates according to
the charges, are: (1) Excite@Home, May 2001; (2) Yahoo!, September 2001;
(3) Microsoft, October 2001; (4) MCI WorldCom, November 2001; (5) SBC
Ameritech, December 2001; and (6) Cingular, May 2003.
Sentencing in the case was scheduled for April 8, 2004, at 4:15 P.M. before
Judge BUCHWALD. At sentencing, LAMO, 22, faces a maximum sentence of 5
years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Mr. KELLEY praised the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, and also thanked the New York Times, LexisNexis, Yahoo!,
Microsoft, MCI WorldCom, SBC Ameritech, and Cingular for their assistance.
Special Assistant United States Attorney MARK F. MENDELSOHN and Assistant
United States Attorney JOSEPH V. DE MARCO are in charge of the prosecution.
04-05
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