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The Associated Press

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WASHINGTON - A hacker broke into a Homeland Security Department telephone system over the weekend and racked up about $12,000 in calls to the Middle East and Asia.

The hacker made more than 400 calls on a Federal Emergency Management Agency voicemail system in Emmitsburg, Md., on Saturday and Sunday, according to FEMA spokesman Tom Olshanski.

FEMA is part of Homeland Security. The voicemail system is new and was recently installed. It is a private branch wxchange, or PBX, a traditional corporate phone network that is used in thousands of companies and government offices.

Many companies are moving to a higher tech version, known as Voice Over Internet Telephony.

This type of hacking is low-tech and "old school," said John Jackson, a St. Louis-based security consultant. It was popular 10 to 15 years ago.

Telecommunications security administrators now know they have to configure security settings.