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back to article New twist in underworld of alleged code, data theft: Two, er, boffins accused of trying to steal, uh, a river model

Two professors at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, have been indicted for an alleged plan to steal computer trade secrets from their former employer, a technical services non-profit called the Water Institute of the Gulf, and to commit computer fraud. The US Department of Justice on Wednesday announced the …

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  1. Jou (Mxyzptlk) Silver badge

    Home office?

    Looks rather like they wanted to work at home optimizing the models...

    And this is how they get treated for their dedication.

    Hopefully truth will prevail (not justice, this is the US where Judge Opinion has more weight that Judge Truth).

    3 11 Reply
    1. Pascal Monett Silver badge
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      Re: Home office?

      Um, did you miss the part where one was offering a job to the other if he got the model data ?

      I'm under the impression that that was in their personal communications - which they set up in the sole intent to "avoid detection".

      That is not behavior I associate with loyalty or dedication.

      Besides, don't tell me that Hu did not know that downloading confidential data to personal storage was a no-no. He was a professor and had been working there for a while. He knew the procedures and what they implied.

      In any case, I also hope The Truth will prevail. Looking forward to hearing more on this.

      16 0 Reply
      1. RRJ
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        Re: Home office?

        Now there in the deep stuff..

        0 0 Reply
    2. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Home office?

      It's all water under the bridge now

      12 0 Reply
      1. Jim Mitchell
        Reply Icon
        Boffin

        Re: Home office?

        This is the Mississippi River, the correct phrase is "it's all water over the levee now".

        17 0 Reply
  2. Ben1892

    I've seen this one - I think it was the plot in MacGyver or something; Steal the model before it's made public, buy up the land that won't be flooded, sell the land that will be and .... ker-ching!

    14 0 Reply
    1. Michael Wojcik Silver badge
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      If you dress up as a ghost to do it, you achieve Full Scooby Doo.

      7 0 Reply
  3. Tom Paine

    "If the Old River Control Structure Fails: A Catastrophe With Global Impact"

    Did you know* - the Mississippi is only prevented from jumping over to another nearby valley that will get it down the last 150 miles to the Gulf in half the time, as well as shutting down the entire lower river cargo traffic -- the route down which an appreciable fraction of the global food supply is transported. Really fascinating articles here (this is one of a series of 3): https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/If-Old-River-Control-Structure-Fails-Catastrophe-Global-Impact

    * Me neither til I saw these pieces.

    16 0 Reply
    1. Reg Reader 1
      Reply Icon

      Re: "If the Old River Control Structure Fails: A Catastrophe With Global Impact"

      Thanks for that link. That's very interesting.

      4 0 Reply
    2. SkippyBing
      Reply Icon

      Re: "If the Old River Control Structure Fails: A Catastrophe With Global Impact"

      It's actually included as a plot device in a Clive Cussler novel. There's a part of me that wants to see it happen, if only to show the folly of trying to contain a river that's draining about half a continent.

      5 0 Reply
      1. Nutria
        Reply Icon

        Re: "If the Old River Control Structure Fails: A Catastrophe With Global Impact"

        A big-enough levee that's well-enough maintained, along with big gates to relieve the pressure when the water gets too high, will do it's job. (The river also wanted to run down Bayou Lafourche before it was dammed at the levee.)

        2 0 Reply
      2. Grikath
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        Re: "If the Old River Control Structure Fails: A Catastrophe With Global Impact"

        "if only to show the folly of trying to contain a river that's draining about half a continent."

        Funny, The Rhine and the Meuse are not exactly tiny creeks, and the Dutch seem to have managed this "folly" for centuries. Made a serious field of science and engineering out of it, actually.

        As an aside, I think people underestimate the value of the model that was stolen. You're talking about a thing that influences the spending of tens, if not hundreds of millions of dollars. That is some serious leverage..

        4 1 Reply
        1. Jim Mitchell
          Reply Icon

          Re: "If the Old River Control Structure Fails: A Catastrophe With Global Impact"

          "Funny, The Rhine and the Meuse are not exactly tiny creeks, and the Dutch seem to have managed this "folly" for centuries. Made a serious field of science and engineering out of it, actually."

          Seriously?

          Rhine watershed is 185,000 square kilometers, Mississippi watershed is 3,220,000 square km. They are not quite comparable. Meuse is barely mentionable at 34,548 square km.

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_River

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhine

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meuse

          4 1 Reply
    3. Tom 7
      Reply Icon

      Re: "If the Old River Control Structure Fails: A Catastrophe With Global Impact"

      The thing is the levees which control the water supply enabling the river transport also prevent a massive amount of natural fertilizer to be spread on the plains during floods, The cost of that is absolutely enormous.

      1 0 Reply
  4. Anonymous South African Coward Bronze badge

    Basically now a he-said, she-said type of thing with the truth sandwiched somewhere in between.

    1 1 Reply
  5. Claverhouse Silver badge

    I can't really comment on the affair; but it seems that whilst our own politicians and judges etc., often go full retard, it is starting to be a recent constant that everyone involved in any court-case in the USA immediately turns into a pompous little git, spouting leaden prose, piously finger-wagging, whilst emitting moralistic platitudes.

    0 0 Reply
    1. Doctor Syntax Silver badge
      Reply Icon

      You mean stating their case in formal English?

      0 0 Reply
  6. 89724102172714182892114I7551670349743096734346773478647892349863592355648544996312855148587659264921

    I stole a river model but I needed a bigger river model to contain it

    0 0 Reply
  7. Francis Boyle Silver badge

    Why did they bother

    There's one right here just waiting to be taken. Might need to hire a few trucks though.

    2 0 Reply

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