Lawyers for Roger Duronio, the former UBS IT man accused of planting a 'logic bomb' in part of the bank's IT network which caused millions of dollars to try and put right, tried a number of avenues last week to suggest that their man was innocent.

The defence suggested that the UBS IT system was easy prey to hackers or other staff, who could have penetrated the network, and used Duronio's password to do so. The lawyers also tried to shift the blame onto @Stake, Inc and Cisco Systems, two companies who worked with UBS. @Stake Inc, a digital security consulting firm, provided the first forensic team to review the case after the March 4, 2002 IT meltdown. In common with many such firms, @Stake employed former hackers, and it was suggested that someone there may have had something to do with laying the blame at Duronio's feet. And Cisco is said to have been undertaking a penetration test at the time the network went down, and lawyers acting for Duronio wondered if this may have had something to do with it.

But then prosecutors wheeled in Secret Service Special Agent Gregory O'Neil, who testified that, during a four-hour search of Duronio's home 17 days after the 'logic bomb' went off, they discovered part of the source code on two of his home computers. They also found an incriminating print-out on top of a bedroom dresser.

Duronio, 63, walked out on UBS in February 2002, after being unhappy about his bonus award. He is accused of planting the 'logic bomb', hoping to cause havoc and the UBS stock price to fall. (And he had purchased stock options that would pay out in the event that it did so - it didn't!). The 'bomb' is said to have taken out over 2,000 servers, including UBS's host server in New Jersey, and branch servers in around 370 offices all over the United States. The former UBS man is charged with computer sabotage, mail and securities fraud,

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