Best of the ISP-Lists

Call the FBI and Get a Restraining Order

Members of the ISP-NT list discuss the business of ex-husbands. If you and your employees are threatened, you need to take action now to avoid being sorry later.

[June 25, 2001]

On the ISP-NT list in June, JC laid out a mystery:

"I just hired a new employee: she is a great tech, but she has an ex-husband who is a hacker, and he's been sending us messages threatening to attack our servers. Last night, we found that he had tried to access our servers. This guy is dumb enough to use his name as the user name: he tried multiple times with no apparent luck. What can we do to scare this guy off? Do we have to wait for him to cause destruction before we can file a complaint with the FBI?"

ZY offered the simplest solution:

"If he is dumb enough to use his name for the login, he probably wants to get caught just to cause a scene. This guy is not a real hacker. Just e-mail him, saying something to the effect of, 'Excuse me, we don't have time for this. If you have a real issue to resolve in a mature manner, please contact _____.'"

Others suggested trying to cut him off at the source:

[SB advised] "Send a letter to his ISP warning them that someone from their network is hacking into your network: I'm sure they'll do something about it."

[DR agreed] "Just contact the ISP: most likely, they will shut down his connection. Make sure you keep all logs of the attacks, and make sure your systems are locked down."

Still others advised more direct legal action

[KD offered] "I would consider getting a restraining order. This is one of those situations where taking positive steps up front to attempt to protect your employee and your workplace is much better than sitting back and assuming that everything will be alright. Getting a restraining order seems like the logical way to proceed. It gets what's happening out in the open, and it establishes how real (or not) the threat is."

[DD agreed] "I think a restraining order is probably your best bet; extended, of course, to include her employer's premises, both physical and electronic. If he violates it, it gives a way to prosecute without involving the FBI, who won't do anything anyway. This clown is only trying to make trouble for her at her new job: if he can keep getting her fired, he thinks eventually she'll need him again."

Others, however, offered a possible red herring:

[WM noted] "Are you sure the employee isn't the one trying to get her ex in trouble? She's new, you don't know her, and have you ever had direct contact with the supposed hacker? How about the timing of the attacks: was it while she was away from work? It's beyond reason that someone would try to hack with their real name: it sounds more like someone wants someone else to get caught, and is leaving as many electronic clues as they can."

[SW agreed] "Did you ever consider that it may actually be your employee doing these things in an effort to screw over her ex? It can and does happen, all too often. I would definitely check into this before I made any moves against the guy. It could save you and your company from a major lawsuit."

AS, on the other hand, recommended the most severe solution:

"Just fire the new employee: she's a liability. Is she worth keeping? Worth the security breach? No way. And contact the hacker's ISP and report it, contact a high-tech lawyer, and contact your local FBI office to start a dialogue with a few agents."

Finally, JM attempted to bring a voice of reason into the discussion:

"I can understand your concern, but if you've got things secured, you shouldn't fear some disgruntled guy across town. Given your description of the situation, I'd be more concerned that the guy may walk into your offices some day with an automatic weapon.

Why should you feel more at risk from this guy than you would from a customer that you terminated, a disgruntled employee that you let go, or any other random hacker? As an ISP, unless you're extremely new or extremely lucky, you will make enemies. Why penalize a good employee? You'd be doing exactly what this idiot wants. Why do you think he's the only person in the world with an agenda against your network? Because he announced himself? Get real."

—End

 

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	[Feb. 13, 2001]	Hacked!
	[May 22, 2000]	Divorce and Webhosting