Hackers Net Economic Leaders’ Data

Computer hackers tapped into a database and stole credit card numbers of about 1,400 political and economic luminaries who attended last week’s annual conclave of the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, forum officials confirmed. Unprecedented security precautions failed to prevent the computer break-in, which came to light when the Swiss weekly SonntagsZeitung revealed its reporters had been shown data on a CD-ROM containing 80,000 pages of information, including credit card numbers, passport information and personal cell-phone contacts of some of the forum’s participants. The victims included former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, South African President Thabo Mbeki and Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates.