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Hack at N.Y. Times exposes sensitive data

Margaret Kane CNet

Published: 27 Feb 2002 16:03 GMT

The New York Times Company on Wednesday confirmed that the internal network of its flagship newspaper was hit by a security breach.

The breach that hit The New York Times was first reported by SecurityFocus Online, a site that contains content about security issues. An article there said a hacker gained access to data ranging from employee names and social security numbers to delivery records.

The report also said the hacker was able to tap into a database of sources and see the social security numbers and home phone numbers for luminaries including former UN weapons inspector Richard Butler to actor Robert Redford.

New York Times Company spokeswoman Christine Mohan said the newspaper had addressed the security flaws, though it is still trying to determine what information was accessed and when the intrusion took place.

"The New York Times Company takes security of its network very seriously. Yesterday we were notified about a potential security breach of our corporate intranet site," she said.

"We identified the security flaw and addressed it," Mohan said. "We are continuing to investigate the situation to ensure the security of our network."

This isn't the first time the newspaper has come under attack; in 1998 a hacker posted pornography and racist text on the newspaper's Web site.

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