Worker Deletes Data Worth $2.5 Million

Ooops!!!

A Florida woman intentionally deleted $2.5 million worth of files off her company’s computer server, the latest reminder to always back up important information.

The incident started when Marie Cooley, who worked at Steven E. Hutchins Architects, saw a classified ad for a job that seemed very much like hers, First Coast News in Florida reports. Angry at what she assumed was her imminent replacement, she decided to get revenge. She snuck in to the office late Sunday night and deleted seven years worth of architectural drawings off the company’s server.

Police had no trouble extracting a confession from Cooley, as she used her own password to delete the files. (Which brings us to lesson two: If you’re going to sabotage your employer’s computer system, log on with someone else’s password.)

The business was eventually able to recover the files, but only after hiring a high-priced tech consultant. Even the sheriff’s office knows this is the real crime: “You can’t depend on having just one set of records or files,” Ken Jefferson, a spokesman for the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office told First Coast News. “You’ve got to have some kind of backup.”

And the classified ad? Turns out it wasn’t for Cooley’s job at all. Although something tells us she better start updating her resume now.