[ISN] Springs man sent to prison for hacking into TSA computer

[InfoSec News <alerts@infosecnews.org>]

http://www.gazette.com/articles/damage-110969-judge-springs.html

By JOHN C. ENSSLIN
THE GAZETTE
January 11, 2011

A federal judge Tuesday sentenced a Colorado Springs man to two years in 
prison for trying to damage a high-security government computer system 
used to screen airline passengers.

Judge David M. Ebel also ordered Douglas James Duchak to pay $60,587 in 
restitution to the U.S. Transportation Security Administration for 
repairs needed after he introduced a code into the system that would 
have disrupted the agency’s ability to compare arrest warrants against 
the names of air travelers.

According to court records, the incident occurred on Oct. 23, 2009, 
while Duchak worked at the TSA’s operations center in Colorado Springs, 
days after he had been notified by a TSA contractor that his job was 
about to be terminated.

Investigators said security cameras and other data showed Duchak 
entering the operation center after hours that night about the same time 
that the unauthorized code was entered. If activated, the code would 
have disrupted TSA’s ability to vet names against its “no fly” list 
temporarily, court records stated.

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