The St. Louis Cardinals are in hot water right now with reports that front office personnel are being investigated for possibly hacking the internal network of the Houston Astros.
The FBI and the Justice Department are leading the said investigation, wherein pertinent and closely guarded information of the Astros may be now compromised.
Aside from player information, other data which may have been compromised due to the said breach include internal discussions about potential trades, statistics and scouting reports by the Astros.
For now, there is no word on what the hackers were actually targeting, though sources say that it may have all been a part of checking if Jeff Luhnow had brought any records from the Cardinals onto the Astros.
Luhnow joined the Cardinals in 2003 as Vice President, tasked with addressing owner William DeWitt Jr.’s wish of employing a more analytical approach and data-driven in managing the Cardinals. That include proper scouting and player development, which eventually played roles in the drafting of future major leaguers.
That list includes the likes of Jaime Garcia, Allen Craig, Jon Jay and Lance Lynn, all of whom were instrumental when the Cardinals won the 2011 World Series.
Luhnow transferred to the Astros in 2011 and applied his unconventional approach. His impact resulted in an immediate turnaround, seeing the Astros climb to first place of the American League West division.
The intrusion was not sophisticated, according to law officials.
The suspects reportedly used a master list of passwords used by Luhnow when he was still with the Cardinals.
If proven, the whole fracas becomes the first known case of corporate espionage as far as a sports team hacking into another team is concerned. Ideally, hacking has become a common and malicious practice globally and usually originates from foreign countries like Russia and China.
“The F.B.I. aggressively investigates all potential threats to public- and private-sector systems,” an F.B.I. spokeswoman said in a report from the New York Times. “Once our investigations are complete, we pursue all appropriate avenues to hold accountable those who pose a threat in cyberspace.”
All parties involved have agreed to participate in the ongoing investigation and the actual Cardinals personnel involved are still around. There have been no reported firings or suspensions and much of that could happen once the FBI and Justice Department conclude their investigation.
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