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How A Gang of Thieves Pulled Off a Multimillion-Dollar Data Center Heist

nytimes.com

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Re: How A Gang of Thieves Pulled Off a Multimillion-Dollar Data Center Heist

#11

Post by fzzzy »

buran77 wrote: post #9
fzzzy wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your confusion doesn't make any sense. The point was to steal a copy of the data, not prevent the original owners from having the data any more.

> The bankers “were involved in prime mortgages” and had “circumnavigated” certain regulations. > Ellis’s assignment was to break into the data center and steal around 80 servers that hosted the incriminating files The hit was contracted by the bankers who broke the law. Why would they need a copy of the evidence? If the goal was to know what the prosecution has on them they took the worst route. Hiring petty crimina…

Ok good point.

Re: How A Gang of Thieves Pulled Off a Multimillion-Dollar Data Center Heist

#14

Post by quickthrowman »

This story is making my bullshit detector go haywire. I’m guessing it was more mundane than what they claim. How much does it cost to buy one or several security guards? It’s a hell of a lot more likely than the movie script story the article contains.

Did this guy sign a book or movie deal? The only fact I believe is that they stole stuff from the data center.

Re: How A Gang of Thieves Pulled Off a Multimillion-Dollar Data Center Heist

#15

Post by CamouflagedKiwi »

Bit dubious about how some of this hangs together. One detail that stood out to me:

> They removed mounting screws, disconnected the servers and put them in laundry bags — 20 bags in all, each large enough to hold four or five servers.

That's like 100kg or more of servers in each bag? I guess that is not totally impossible but it doesn't seem like a particularly easy way to move them around. It's not like putting five laptops in a bag and walking out with it over your shoulder.

Re: How A Gang of Thieves Pulled Off a Multimillion-Dollar Data Center Heist

#16

Post by cucumber3732842 »

CamouflagedKiwi wrote: post #15

Bit dubious about how some of this hangs together. One detail that stood out to me: > They removed mounting screws, disconnected the servers and put them in laundry bags — 20 bags in all, each large enough to hold four or five servers. That's like 100kg or more of servers in each bag? I guess that is not totally impossible but it doesn't seem like a particularly easy way to move them around. It's not like putting fiv…

Maybe they mean the rolling laundry carts that one puts such bags in. Not sure what one's excuse for pushing a bunch of them around a data center would be though.

I agree the details don't smell right though.

Re: How A Gang of Thieves Pulled Off a Multimillion-Dollar Data Center Heist

#18

Post by elteto »

CamouflagedKiwi wrote: post #15

Bit dubious about how some of this hangs together. One detail that stood out to me: > They removed mounting screws, disconnected the servers and put them in laundry bags — 20 bags in all, each large enough to hold four or five servers. That's like 100kg or more of servers in each bag? I guess that is not totally impossible but it doesn't seem like a particularly easy way to move them around. It's not like putting fiv…

Anyone who has ever seen or handled a simple 1U server knows this is absolute bullshit. And laundry bags have to be absolutely the worst possible way to transport something like this.

And they stole 80 of them? So basically a truckload? Sure.

Re: How A Gang of Thieves Pulled Off a Multimillion-Dollar Data Center Heist

#20

Post by josefritzishere »

Data centers are huge and barely staffed. It's a really rich target for thieves in terms of IT hardware and scrap metal. There are literally tons of copper in there per acre. All the cameras in the world won't save you if you only have 4 guys in a 20 acre building.
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