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In a shocking display of brazenness, two sibling contractors, Muneeb Akhter and Sohaib Akhter, have been charged with attempting to steal and destroy government records just minutes after being fired from their contractor jobs. The brothers, both 34, of Alexandria, Virginia, have a history of cybercrime, having been convicted a decade ago for hacking into US State Department systems.
The Department of Justice announced on Thursday that the Akhter brothers deleted databases and documents maintained and belonging to three government agencies. The men were federal contractors working for an undisclosed company in Washington, DC, that provides software and services to 45 US agencies. Prosecutors said the men coordinated the crimes and began carrying them out just minutes after being fired, highlighting the importance of swift action in preventing data breaches.
Using AI to Cover Up a Crime: A Recipe for Disaster
According to an indictment unsealed on Thursday, the men were fired from the company at roughly 4:55 pm on February 18. Five minutes later, they allegedly began trying to access their employer’s system and access federal government databases. Despite one of the brothers’ accounts being terminated, the other brother managed to access a government agency’s database stored on the employer’s server and issued commands to prevent other users from connecting or making changes to the database.
The brothers then allegedly issued a command to delete 96 databases, many of which contained sensitive investigative files and records related to Freedom of Information Act matters. However, their attempts to cover their tracks were amateurish, to say the least. One minute after deleting Department of Homeland Security information, Muneep Akhter allegedly asked an AI tool “how do i clear system logs from SQL servers after deleting databases.” This move not only highlights the brothers’ lack of expertise but also raises questions about the reliability of AI tools in such situations.
Investigation and Aftermath
Prosecutors said the men’s attempts to cover their tracks failed, and the indictment provides enough details of the databases wiped and information stolen to indicate the extent of the damage. The brothers’ discussions in the hours or days following the incident, in which they discussed removing incriminating evidence from their homes, were also obtained by investigators. Three days later, the men allegedly wiped their employer-issued laptops by reinstalling the operating system, further solidifying the case against them.
The case serves as a reminder of the importance of robust cybersecurity measures and swift action in preventing data breaches. As the US government continues to grapple with the challenges of protecting sensitive information, incidents like this highlight the need for increased vigilance and cooperation between agencies. For more information on this developing story, visit Here.
Image Credit: arstechnica.com