With the recent hacking of the network system of Mauritius Telecom, the telecommunications sector and the business community ? have glided past a major disaster. The presumed author of this act has been taken into custody and bailed out. (?)

However, it is information technology that has made this offense possible. What concerns us is the moral responsibility of MT which has left the metaphorical key hanging outside the door! It is a rule of the thumb to change passwords whenever key staffs leave a company. It is an unstated rule amongst some companies in Europe that they go to the extent of blocking such staff from employment within a given precinct or, even refraining from employing him/her for a period of 2 years ? when current ?knowledge? would have become obsolete. (...)

MT has been slapdash in taking people for granted, for, one of its ex-staffs has used ?knowledge? in an unlawful manner. Negligence may be established where MT has failed to take due care in the maintenance of all relevant standards and codes of practice and this lack of care has led in failure leading to breach of the tacit contract with some of its customers. (...)

Nawab MONIARUCK