On Aug. 23, 2004, a former employee of Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates Inc., a large high-tech company, was charged in federal court with computer hacking that allegedly caused significant damage to Varian's computer systems.

Patrick Angle, 34, was charged with intentionally damaging a protected computer. The charge alleged that Angle, who had worked for Varian, had become disgruntled with his employment by September 2003 and had been told by the company that his employment contract would be terminated in October of that same year.

By Douglas Schweitzer at Computerworld.

[ Read more ]