A 21-year-old part-time Internet security consultant is claiming he was able to hack into the New York Times network and access thousands of contributors Social Security numbers and subscribers’ orders, among other sensitive files.
According to Associated Press reports, consultant Adrian Lamo said he found at least seven misconfigured servers that would allow hackers access to the NYT’s private network through its public Web site. Lamo said he was able to view names and Social Security numbers of employees, home delivery customers’ orders and editorial contact information.
The AP also said Lamo claimed to have accessed a database of 3,000 contributors to the Times’ op-ed page, which included Social Security numbers for celebrities and government officials.
A spokesperson for the Times said the paper had identified the flaw in its systems and was investigating the issue.