Manager: Plateau system secure

CMI staff writer

[email protected]

Plateau’s system is secure after plateautel.net Internet customer email addresses and passwords were found to be compromised Wednesday, according to regulatory manager Launa Waller.

Plateautel.net email customers were being asked to change their email passwords immediately, according to a Plateau press release.

Waller said the case has been referred to federal law enforcement for investigation.

“The investigation into how the system was compromised is ongoing,” she said. “Plateau is taking aggressive and ongoing steps to defend the network against future intrusions.”

Several local businesses have email accounts that were affected by the breach, including High Plains Federal Credit Union, Citizens Bank of Clovis and radio station KTQM. Farwell Independent School District and the Food Bank of Eastern New Mexico were also affected.

“We’ve not had any impact that we’re aware of at this point,” said Marty Tressell, president of High Plains Federal Credit Union. “Plateau was in contact with us immediately when they determined there was a concern.”

Tressell said a personal contact was made by Plateau, followed by an email detailing the issue. He also said employees are doing routine password changes, which they do on a regular basis anyway.

Citizens Bank officials did not immediately return a phone call Thursday.

Bob Coker, manager of KTQM, said the radio station has not had any problems in relation with the hack.

Farwell ISD Superintendent Kelly Lusk said the district has also not had an issues as far as he is aware.

“We haven’t had any reports of anything,” he said. “We did go ahead and take the advice of Plateau and request all our teachers change their passwords.”

Rogue hackers TeamBerserk claimed responsibility for the compromise, saying they have published the email addresses and passwords of more than 7,000 accounts in a hackers blog and used the information to break into military computers at White Sands Missile Range in Alamogordo.

A spokesperson for White Sands said Thursday they are investigating to see if hackers had breached their system.

“I spoke with our information technology folks and they confirmed we are investigating,” said Lisa Blevins with Army public affairs. “I will let you know as soon as we hear something from them."