Oliver said last month that as a member of an OIT security audit team, he installed and used a collection of software tools, including Cain & Abel, in order to test the ability of the state's IT security to withstand real-world intrusions. The work was done with the knowledge and endorsement of OIT managers, Oliver said.

New Hampshire CIO Richard C. Bailey Jr. declined to comment on Oliver's reinstatement last week. "We don't go into the individual status of employees," Bailey said.

Pamela Walsh, a spokeswoman for New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch, said that the FBI's investigation into the installation of Cain & Abel on the server is ongoing.