LostCluster writes "The AP, Reuters, and AOL's own CNN/Money are all reporting that AOL employee Jason Smathers has been arrested and accused of taking a list ...

[Via Slantdot]

Damnit you guys!

The thing is, as programmers, network engineers, help desk techs, and IT staff in general, we are often trusted with very high levels of access to sensitive systems and data. But who will police the police? I could go right now and tell all of you what every person in my company makes, what all their email says, who all our customers are, and all our financials. I've worked at places where a quick SQL backup of the contacts database could be sold for good money. I've worked places where a quick scan of the document management system that I put in place and administered would tell me all kinds of inside information that I could use in the stock market.

I have never done, nor been tempted to do these things. I know most of us aren't. But, as we have seen today, some of us do. Why? Some people say that a lot of crimes are crimes of opportunity. It ties into broken window theory. If it looks like you won't get caught, or if it looks easy enough to do, then a lot of people will be tempted to do it. Some will actualy move beyond temptation and into committing the act. My problem with this is the trust we are given, and how this is a huge violation of that trust. This sort of thing is an inside job. This guy didn't walk into his local Bank of America, wave a gun around, and take the cash. This guy went to college, got an MBA in Finance, became Vice President of the bank, told everyone he was going to work late, wired a bunch of money to an offshore account, and kept working there hoping he wouldn't get caught. Long winded analogy yes, but it makes my point.

I can't do my job if I don't have access to key systems. I can't have access to key systems unless I'm trusted. I have to work hard enough to gain trust without assholes like this guy ruining it for all of us. That's just my two cents on this particular issue.