Benefits November 16, 2006

Source Media Ex-Exec Accused of E-mail Breach

November 16, 2006 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Financial periodical publisher Source Media Inc. has charged its former vice president of technology with hacking into the company's computer system three years after his dismissal.
Reported by

The Associated Press reports that prosecutors allege in court documents that Stevan Hoffacker, who worked for Source Media and its predecessor company from 1998 to 2003, hacked into the Source Media’s e-mail network and sent e-mails to two employees alerting them that their jobs were in jeopardy. Hoffacker has been charged with one count of unauthorized access to a protected computer network.

The two employees had been the subject of e-mails among executives discussing their employment and possible termination, according to the charge filed by the US Attorney’s office in Manhattan, the AP said. Hoffacker, who faces five years in prison if convicted, had access to usernames and passwords of other employees while working in the company’s information technology department.

Source Media claims it suffered damages of more than $100,000 because it was forced to hire an outside law firm and redirect company personnel to address the breach, according to the filing.

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