Developer admits metro website was open

A private contractor who developed a NSW government website allegedly hacked into by
a Sydney newspaper has admitted the site was accessible to outside users.
The revelation has forced NSW Transport Minister David Campbell into an embarrassing
backdown, after telling parliament on Tuesday that the hacking claims had been
referred to police for investigation.
Mr Campbell outlined allegations against the Sydney Morning Herald in parliament on
Tuesday, saying the Shape Your State website had been hacked into last Thursday and
Friday, just days before its official launch.
The newspaper on Saturday splashed its front page with an exclusive story on the NSW
government's unreleased transport blueprint, saying it had obtained key
announcements when they were accidentally uploaded onto the site.
But Mr Campbell told parliament the contractor developing the site, Bang The Table,
disputed the Herald's story, and instead said Shape Your State had been attacked by
hackers.
Without naming the Herald, Mr Campbell said two of the four IP addresses involved
were traced back to a "Sydney media" address.
Bang The Table has now admitted parts of the Shape Your State website were
temporarily accessible on that Friday, contradicting Mr Campbell's statement in
question time.
The error followed a "sustained and automated attempt" to penetrate the website's
security on Thursday, director Matthew Crozier said.
"This is a matter of significant embarrassment to us," Mr Crozier said in a
statement on Wednesday.
"While security was in place on the front page of the site, clearly it was not
sufficient to prevent the internal content being accessed.
"We would like to assure our clients and the community that systems have already
been put in place to ensure this cannot happen again."
In a clarifying statement to parliament late on Wednesday, Mr Campbell apologised
for Tuesday's remarks, but said "at no stage did I make allegations against any
individual or specific media outlet".
He said the government would terminate its contract with Bang The Table, who he
accused of giving wrong advice.
"It is now clear that Bang The Table not only did not protect the security of the
government's information, they also provided wrong advice to the government about
its security measures," he said.
"This is completely unacceptable to the government.
"I made yesterday's statement in good faith and based on information provided to me
Bang The Table. That information was wrong and I apologise."
Herald editor Peter Fray welcomed Mr Campbell's about-turn but said the paper was
still waiting for an apology.
"We welcome Minister Campbell's frankness, but we would still appreciate an apology
to our journalists and readers," Mr Fray said.
"As we said yesterday, our journalists may be hacks, but not hackers."