A journalist called a hacker by the governor who pointed out the leakage of personal information of more than 100,000 people was dismissed from prosecution



In October 2021, journalists in Missouri, USA, reported that the personal information of more than 100,000 faculty members was made available for viewing. In response to the report, Missouri Governor Mike Parson claimed that 'the journalist had hacked', but on February 11, 2022, the journalist's non-indictment was confirmed.

Missouri officials planned to thank Post-Dispatch before threatening newspaper, emails show | Politics | stltoday.com

https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/missouri-officials-planned-to-thank-post-dispatch-before-threatening-newspaper-emails-show/article_0f6c5288-cd11-569c- 804e-9b280e9c1e68.html

The incident began with more than 100,000 teachers on the Missouri Elementary and Secondary Education Bureau (DESE) website, according to Josh Renault , a reporter for the Missouri local newspaper St. Louis Post-Dispatch . Social Security Number (SSN) is available for viewing . ' This SSN is placed on the source code of the website, and although it was encrypted, it could be easily decrypted. In response to this report, Missouri has refurbished the DESE website and reported that the amendment was completed on October 13, 2021.



However, on October 15, 2021, Governor Person said, 'It is illegal to access encrypted data and systems to look up the personal information of others. We notify the Cole County prosecution of the incident. We also plan to conduct a highway patrol. ”“ In this case, taxpayers in Missouri suffered up to $ 50 million in damages. ”“ Person who accessed SSN Was not licensed. This is clearly a hack. We have to deal with malicious fraud, ' said Renault, a state law in the state of Missouri that banned hacking. Claimed to be in conflict with RSMo Section 569.095 .

However, because the SSN in question was placed on publicly readable source code and it could not be said that Mr. Renault had made a malicious hack, Governor Person's remark was 'a flaw in the website. We are trying to hold the journalists we find criminally liable . '

Then, on February 11, 2022, Cole group prosecutor Rock Thompson announced that Renault was not prosecuted. 'Protecting the personal information of state officials is a top priority for me and Governor Person,' Thompson said in a statement, and Renault informed Highway Patrol of concerns about DESE data breaches. 'Thank you.' 'It is not in the interest of the citizens of Cole County to use taxes to proceed with the criminal charge in this case. The investigation has already been completed and the Cole County Governor has done this on this matter. I will not comment above. '

OFFICE OF THE PROSECUTING ATTORNEY COLE COUNTY, MISSOURI
(PDF file) https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/bd/1bd1a21e-a1a6-5a2b-b9a3-573e59d37e05/62070d2367e2c.pdf. pdf



Also on the same day, Renault published a (PDF file) statement on his website: 'The Cole County prosecutor has chosen not to prosecute. This is reassuring, but given to me and my family. The damage was not repaired. My actions were perfectly legal and consistent with the principles of the press, but Governor Mike Parson sent to a press conference televised and to all faculty members in the state. I falsely accused me of being a 'hacker' in a press release issued by his Political Activities Committee, and because he ordered the Highway Patrol to initiate a criminal investigation. I had to keep quiet for four months with anxiety. This is a political persecution of journalists, 'he said, accusing Governor Person of his actions.

Meanwhile, Governor Parson said on February 12, 2022, 'Hacking the personal information of Missouri teachers clearly violates the state law'Section 569.095, RSMo'.' He is a malicious hacker. '

in Note, Posted by log1o_hf