Password gaffe let ‘hacker’ in

Thursday 20th March 2008, 2:28PM GMT.

INADEQUATE security 15 years ago allowed one former civil servant access to the Greffe computer system.

Microgen analyst David Cranch, who worked for the States for 14 years, said that from his computer at the former post office headquarters, he very easily gained access to the Greffe’s file structure. Mr Cranch said the recent States internet breach was just another example of IT security not being up to scratch.

‘I was pretty staggered when I found a user called Bailiff and his files were wide open to me. I don’t know what was in it or whether it could have been his secretary’s folder – I didn’t look inside. I got on the phone straight away.’