Tuesday, February 08, 2000
Computer buyer finds police data
Forest Park auctioned off wrong unit
BY ALLEN HOWARD
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FOREST PARK — Brent Huston makes a living teaching how to prevent hackers from stealing information from computers.
But the Columbus executive learned even he could gain access to information he shouldn't have.
Mr. Huston is chief executive officer of Microsolved Inc., a computer security consulting firm.
A year ago, he bought a computer at a Caesar's Creek flea market that contained a database for the Forest Park Police Department.
“I bought the machine for $26.38,” Mr. Huston said. “When I turned it on, I learned that it contained police information from 1988 to 1998 of the Forest Park Police Department.”
He said the information concerned homicide investigations, search warrants, conversations with drug enforcement agents, and Social Security and credit card numbers.
“The irony of this is that I end up with the kind of information, accidentally, that I am supposed to be teaching how to prevent from getting out,” Mr. Huston said. “If I had been a crook, this could have been damaging information.”
Mr. Huston said when he saw the information, he checked the machine and found a tag labeled “Forest Park Police Department.” He began making arrangements to return it.
It took awhile to convince the Forest Park Police Department that it had sold the wrong computer at a city auction in 1998.
The department had two Compaq 386, Model 20 laptops. Police Chief Kenneth Hughes said one of them was broken and was supposed to be listed for sale at the city auction.
“For some reason, the wrong machine was auc tioned off,” Chief Hughes said.
The person who bought the machine at the city auction sold it at the flea market. Mr. Huston did not remember from whom he bought the machine.
The department made arrangements to retrieve the computer Monday afternoon by buying it back from Mr. Huston for the same price he paid for it.
“Most of the information on the computer is public information, but there is some which involves police investigations that I wouldn't want the public to have,” Chief Hughes said. “It was an error we made, and we are not trying to hide it. Luckily we are able to retrieve it.”
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