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High tech hunt underway in pilfering of SSJID's files
From: "Richard M. Smith" <rms () computerbytesman com>
Date: Tue, 15 Nov 2005 11:15:18 -0500
http://www.mantecabulletin.com/articles/2005/11/11/news/news2.txt High tech hunt underway in pilfering of SSJID's files A computer forensic expert is continuing to pour over hundreds of South San Joaquin Irrigation District files that were "improperly accessed" to determine who - if anyone - should be pursued for prosecution. The pilfering of sensitive SSJID information by a political consulting firm hired by PG&E has been brought to the attention of a number of county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. The documents pertain to the SSJID efforts to acquire the PG&E distribution system in a bid to lower retail power rates to customers in Manteca, Ripon and Escalon by at least 15 percent. A SSJID spokesman said Thursday the district is waiting for the completion of the tedious forensic process started in mid-September before pursuing legal action regarding the theft of confidential and privileged information. Options include possibly filing a criminal complaint. The computer file theft came just a year after PG&E hired an auditing firm to pour through SSJID files seeking information on various elected directors as well as other business dealings. ... PG&E has repeatedly emphasized it had no knowledge that Meridian Pacific, a Sacramento consulting firm PG&E hired that handles a number of Republican political campaigns, was accessing SSJID files. Meridian Pacific, for its part, has indicated they may seek legal relief against PG&E for possibly slandering the firm's reputation. Meridian Pacific contends they did nothing illegal as the files were legally accessed as an intern who they paid on a piecemeal basis to keep tabs of SSJID meetings. The intern used a laptop computer to access the files from SSJID General Manager Steve Stroud's computer using wireless technology while he sat in the back of the board room listening to Stroud and the elected directors conducted district business in public. He forwarded the information to Meridian Pacific during the meeting. The consulting firm then sent the information to the PG&E Stockton office where an employee alerted company officials who in turn contacted authorities and then notified SSJID. ...
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- High tech hunt underway in pilfering of SSJID's files Richard M. Smith (Nov 15)