$10M Fine For Ticketmaster To Settle Charges It Hacked Competitor

Under the terms of a three-year deferred prosecution agreement, Ticketmaster will pay $10 million to avoid prosecution for conspiracy to engage in computer intrusion, wire fraud, and violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. In a statement, the acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York says that Ticketmaster employees accessed a competitor’s computers “using stolen passwords to unlawfully collect business intelligence.” One of the two employees cited in the agreement was head of Ticketmaster’s artist services division, and the other had worked for a company that later merged with the competitor. Both employees were fired. Under terms of the agreement, Ticketmaster accepts responsibility for the acts of the employees, agrees to implement an enhanced ethics and compliance program, and will report annually to the U.S. attorney.