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Hacker Breaks into Houston-Area Internet Providers E-Mail Server

Source: Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News Publication date: 2000-06-02

Jun. 2--Houston subscribers to Time Warner Communications' Road Runner cable-modem Internet service were told Thursday night to change their passwords after a hacker broke into an e-mail server. But a glitch in a computer prevented customers from making the change Thursday evening.

Spokeswoman Kimberly Maki said the hacker may have gotten access to a database of e-mail logons and passwords on Wednesday.

Road Runner technicians noted suspicious activity on the network and disabled the hacker's cable modem about 30 minutes after the intrusion started, she said. The hacker tried to come back in via the Internet later and was stopped again.

Maki said technicians would complete a planned upgrade of the Road Runner system Thursday night and use the opportunity to increase security.

Customers were e-mailed instructions for changing their passwords on Thursday.

A technical support staffer said Thursday the computer used to update customer information was down and likely would be back up sometime today.

Maki said Road Runner managers believe they identified the hacker and notified law enforcement officials.

----- To see more of the Houston Chronicle, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.chron.com http://realcities.yellowbrix.com/pages/realcities/Story.nsp?story_id=10940867&site=charlotte&ID=realcities&scategory=Computers%3AY2K

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-- (Dee360Degree@aol.com), June 02, 2000