Gizmodo: terry childs

San Francisco Hunting For "Mystery Device" on City Network

Sean Fallon — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:00:00 EDT

San Francisco is continuing to untangle the mess created by the notorious Terry Childs after his attempt to bring down the city network. According to estimates, the cleanup has cost taxpayers $1 million so far, with an additional $800,000 set aside for unforeseen problems. The latest development in the saga occurred late last month when investigators discovered a mysterious hidden networking device referred to as "a terminal server" that appears to provide remote access to the city's Fiber WAN network. The password is unknown—but the login is accompanied by a warning message stating: "This system is the personal property of Terry S. Childs."

Futhermore, the city's Department of Telecommunications and Information Services isn't even sure where the device is located. So far, Childs isn't talking. Despite giving up info to SF's charismatic mayor, there are still a lot of pieces left to the puzzle. Maybe another meeting with the mayor is in order—except this time fists should ask the questions. [NetworkWorld via Tech Digest]

S.F. Hacker Deeply Troubled, Turned City Computer System Into "His Own Private Network"

Sean Fallon — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:40:00 EDT

Initially, Terry Child's hijacking of the San Francisco computer network had a rebellious vibe about it that was, well...sort of admirable. However, much has happened in the last couple of weeks that has painted him as more than a simple disgruntled employee. Now it seems that Childs is actually a brilliant but deeply disturbed individual that sought to take down the network that he constructed based on paranoia and an insatiable need for power and revenge.

Apparently, the passcodes recovered by Mayor Gavin Newsom last Monday did not grant administrator access to the entire system as everyone had hoped. Instead, they provided access to a computer at the Hall of Justice that no one was aware of. They also discovered that Childs had set up more than 1,000 computer modems in locked cabinets and other hiding places as part of a network he was building right under the noses of his superiors. Prosecutors now believe that Childs envisioned a meltdown of the entire system that would target supervisors he considered to be incompetent and inferior to himself. And, the best part was that the system was booby-trapped so that routine system maintenance would trigger the destruction of sensitive city records. Child's hands would be clean—so to speak.

We have also learned that Childs had a troubled past and lied about it to get his job. As a teen, he spent time in jail for aggravated robbery and was arrested a second time for assault. Police have also recently found ammunition in his home that he was not authorized to have. Why his past was not uncovered during a background check is unclear, but when you put a man in charge of the entire computer network for the city of San Francisco, you would think that due diligence would be in order. At this point, Childs remains in prison with bail set at $5 million until further decisions regarding his fate are set during a hearing on September 24th. [SF Gate and SF Gate]

Disgruntled Computer Engineer Hijacks San Fran's New Computer Network: Jail Not an Obstacle

Sean Fallon — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:30:00 EDT

Terry Childs, a 43-year-old computer network administrator in Pittsburgh, is in the midst of a legendary computer hack that has denied administrator access to San Francisco's new multimillion-dollar network. Apparently, Childs was recently disciplined at his job for poor performance and his supervisors unsuccessfully attempted to fire him. So, as an "insurance policy," he hacked San Fran's new Fiber Wan (Wide Area Network), "where records such as officials' emails, city payroll files, confidential law enforcement documents and jail inmates' bookings are stored." Childs has refused to divulge the real passcodes to the system even when faced with arrest and a whopping $5 million bond.

Despite being in jail, the authorities are worried that he may have enabled a third party to access the system and destroy sensitive information. Administrators still do not have access themselves, but they maintain that the system is up and running and that no serious data problems have come up thus far. The exact motives behind Child's crimes have not been determined, although his frustrations at work seem to be a likely culprit. Still, why someone would commit a crime and throw away a $150,000-a-year job after "almost" being fired is a mystery to me. And I highly doubt that using the true passcodes as a bargaining chip is going to earn him any leverage. [SFGate]