Authorities at Tampa International Airport have expedited and expanded a sweeping assessment of its network security, following the resignation of an IT consultant who was allegedly found to have shared system passwords with unauthorized parties, the Tampa Tribune has reported.
Airport CEO Joe Lopano announced Monday at a Hillsborough County Aviation Authority meeting that a systems audit originally scheduled for this summer is already underway. The timeframe was accelerated after reports surfaced that former consultant Gautham Sampath, who was tasked with upgrading the airport's business intelligence software in 2014 and 2015, allegedly gave his credentials to unauthorized individuals who accessed the system dozens of times remotely from countries such as India and the United Arab Emirates. The Tribune reports that Sampath claimed these individuals were helping him upgrade the software.
The airport said that sensitive information from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was not compromised by the breach. At least three other employees have resigned, including the airport's IT director.
