World Leaders' Credit Card Numbers Stolen

G E N E V A, Feb. 5, 2001 -- Organizers of an annual meeting of global leadersin the Swiss Alps said today that it appeared hackers had obtained"proprietary data like credit card numbers" of 1,400 prominentpeople.

But a spokesman said apparently no sensitive details wereobtained on thousands of other participants in recent meetings ofthe World Economic Forum, including former U.S. President BillClinton. "We regard this as a serious crime, not as a prank," saidCharles McLean, chief spokesman for the World Economic Forum. McLean said the forum, a foundation that conducts the annualmeeting in the Swiss ski resort of Davos each January, would haveits lawyers file for an injunction later Monday to stop furtherdissemination of the data obtained. McLean said details published Sunday in the weeklySonntagsZeitung based in Zurich, Switzerland, appeared to belargely correct, but that apparently nothing sensitive on Clintonhad been obtained.

Data on Albright, Mbeki, Gates The newspaper's reporters said they had been shown data on aCD-ROM containing 80,000 pages of information, includinginformation on Clinton, who was the featured speaker at Davos ayear ago. SonntagsZeitung said the CD-ROM contained data on 27,000 people,including former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, SouthAfrican President Thabo Mbeki, Microsoft founder Bill Gates andother top corporate executives. McLean said a preliminary investigation indicated the mainconcern was for the 1,400 whose credit card numbers were disclosed. He said the security breach was in "a remnant database thatcontained information about participants at some of our regionalmeetings that had been held in the year 2000." "So it seems as if the hackers were able to penetrate thatparticular database and obtain this information," McLean said."They did not penetrate our main database; they did not penetratethe Davos database, apparently." McLean said it was apparently incorrect to suggest thatClinton's privacy or security had been compromised. "Bill Clinton didn't come to any of our regional meetings, so Ithink that's wrong," McLean said. "But as a matter of policy wewill not be commenting on any specific individuals because theprivacy of those people whose security was violated, we're notgoing to compromise it any further.'

Anti-Globalization Move? Swiss authorities said they were investigating to determinewhether the government should prosecute the hackers on grounds ofinvasion of privacy. McLean told The Associated Press that the forum's legalcomplaint was being filed be against "X," rather than any namedindividuals. "We don't know who was responsible for this," said McLean."We are going to be investigating this thoroughly and weanticipate further legal action." The paper said the material had been collected byanti-globalization protesters. Opponents who have mounteddemonstrations against the forum maintain that it is an exclusiveclub acting in the interests of big business and against theworld's poor. "In many cases they have a list of names, and that probablywon't cause any serious problems, but for about 1,400 people theyhave some proprietary data like credit card numbers and otherinformation which does concern us obviously a great deal," McLeansaid. The forum is e-mailing affected individuals and setting up a hotline for executives to phone if they want further details, he said,adding that he knew of no phone calls of alarm so far. "We're making a great effort today to make sure every one ofthose people has been contacted and made aware of the problem,"McLean said.

Cell Phone Numbers SonntagsZeitung said the data obtained also included numbers ofpassports and personal cellular phones of many of the governmentand business leaders who have attend the annual gathering in Davosin recent years. Some 3,200 people attend the six-day meeting to exchange ideason the world economy and problems, make deals and enjoy the Alps.Regional meetings are held in varying locations around the world.They also draw government and business leaders, but on a smallerscale than Davos.