Pirate attack leaves phone system plundered

When you get the advice to change your password, you better do it. One guy in Chicago did not and he was billed $17,381.94:

"Some pirates hijack ships. The swashbucklers who attacked Mark Swimmer were more technologically savvy.

"In mid-August, someone hacked into the phone system at Swimmer's Prospect Heights computer design business and began charging calls to Somalia.

"Within days, the phone pirates had racked up hundreds of calls to the African nation, for an eye-popping total of $17,381.94."

The rest of the "What's Your Problem" article by Jon Yates for the Chicago Tribune is here.

Mark Swimmer bought a phone system for his office. After installation, he left the default passwords that the system came with (like "0000" and "1234") intact, instead of changing them. Hackers, then, were able to get into his system.

To take a small businessman for all or half of the money (depends on who you are talking to at all of the phone companies involved), is usury. Don't these companies, like AT&T, have insurance?

I was surprised to see in the comments section that a lot of people took the phone companies' side. So much for the customer being right.