December 17, 2007 11:11 AM PST

Data-center worker sabotages Calif. power grid

By David Meyer
Special to CNET News.com

Share
- Digg
- Del.icio.us
- Reddit
- Facebook
Email
Print

A computer technician at a data center that administers the electrical power supply to part of California's vast power grid pleaded guilty on Friday to trying to shut down the grid. The technician, Lonnie Charles Denison, 33, was working at the data center in Folsom, Calif., in April when he broke a protective glass cover to a power-switch box and pressed a power-off switch, leaving the power grid vulnerable to shortages for two hours, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Repairs cost the state $14,000. Denison had been working as a contract employee.

Denison pleaded guilty in court to hitting the "emergency power-off" switch, and said that he was unhappy with his employer at the time. Denison had originally been charged with sending an e-mailed bomb threat the day after the incident that read: "Hey, at one point I respected you...you have a new kid. So this is only because of him. Get out before the timer expires. Not long now. Take care." No blackout occurred as a result of the incident, but 20 computer specialists were required to repair the damage, according to the newspaper. Denison is due to be sentenced on February 29.

David Meyer of ZDNet UK reported from London.

See more CNET content tagged:
grid, data center, California

Add a Comment (Log in or register) 7 comments

Power Grid is really vulnerable
by elisamei December 17, 2007 12:23 PM PST: Our power grid has huge flaws and is much more vulnerable to attack that most people seem to think- ( http://www.internetevolution.com/author.asp?section_id=515&doc_id=136047 ); Reply to this comment View all 2 replies
Processing

Shut off the lights.
by likes2comment December 17, 2007 12:59 PM PST: First one out, please shut off the lights, especially when working in a nuclear power plant.; Reply to this comment

20 programers?
by jltnol December 17, 2007 9:00 PM PST: to fix it?

That seems to mean that no one knows what's running the whole
thing.

Now, all we need to do is convince the electric utilities to pare down
their profits and invest in the grid and security..; Reply to this comment View reply
Processing

Latest tech news headlines

Microsoft tries to reclaim Windows' image
Posted in News - Microsoft by Ina Fried

September 5, 2008 11:17 AM PDT
Week in review: Google's Chrome shines
Posted in News - Digital Media by Steven Musil

September 5, 2008 11:00 AM PDT
Duke Energy to invest in mini solar power plants
Posted in Green Tech by Martin LaMonica

September 5, 2008 9:48 AM PDT

RSS Feeds

Add headlines from CNET News to your homepage or feedreader.

More feeds available in our RSS feed index.

Inside CNET News

Scroll Left Scroll Right

News - Business Tech
Samsung contemplating SanDisk acquisition
South Korean consumer electronics giant is considering a buyout of the chipmaker to reduce its NAND flash memory costs, according to PaidContent.
Gallery
Photos: Ron Paul's RNC alternative
As the Republican convention took place just miles away, a crowd rallied for the former presidential candidate and his message of limited government, ensured civil liberties, lower taxes, and peace.
The Open Road
Analysts as a lagging indicator of success
Gartner, Forrester, and other analyst firms tend to be great predictors of the past, probably because that's where they get their money.
News - Microsoft
Microsoft tries to reclaim Windows' image
After years of letting Apple's attack ads go unanswered, the software maker is embarked on a difficult and costly journey of trying to wrest back control of what Windows stands for.
Video
YouTube plays party politics
During the presidential campaigning four years ago, YouTube didn't even exist. Now it's a tool candidates must master to get their message across. CNET's Kara Tsuboi stops by the YouTube upload booths at the Democratic and Republican conventions to find out why Google's video site has such a big presence in Denver and St. Paul, Minn.
News - Digital Media
Week in review: Google's Chrome shines
Web giant makes long-awaited foray into browser market, while the mobile market warms up. Also: Tech goes to Republican National Convention.
Video
Political party playlists
We know the Democrats and Republicans are split over policy issues, but does their musical taste fall down party lines too? And what kind of gadgets did they bring to the conventions to listen to their music? CNET reporter Kara Tsuboi finds out.
News - Politics and Law
Google and 'Vanity Fair' party with the GOP
Google and Vanity Fair hosted one of the most talked-about parties at the Republican convention.
News - Cutting Edge
Execs predict next Google-like tech
On eve of company's 10-year anniversary, researchers and business pundits speculate about what technologies might someday have as much impact as Google.
Gallery
Photos: The brains behind Google Chrome
Here's a look at some of the engineers and executives who took the stage at the company's headquarters as they unveiled the new browser.
Crave
Motorola U9 reviewed
CNET puts the Motorola U9 through its paces.
Green Tech
Duke Energy to invest in mini solar power plants
Can hundreds of rooftop solar panels collectively operate like a central power plant? Duke Energy launches $100 million distributed solar program to find out.