Contractors With Hacking Records Accused of Wiping 96 Government Databases (bleepingcomputer.com)
- Reference: 0180290919
- News link: https://yro.slashdot.org/story/25/12/05/0251201/contractors-with-hacking-records-accused-of-wiping-96-government-databases
- Source link: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/contractors-with-hacking-records-accused-of-wiping-96-govt-databases/
> According to [3]court documents , Muneeb Akhter deleted roughly 96 databases containing U.S. government information in February 2025, including Freedom of Information Act records and sensitive investigative documents from multiple federal agencies. One minute after deleting a Department of Homeland Security database, Muneeb Akhter also allegedly asked an artificial intelligence tool for instructions on clearing system logs after deleting a database.
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> The two defendants also allegedly ran commands to prevent others from modifying the targeted databases before deletion, and destroyed evidence of their activities. The prosecutors added that both men wiped company laptops before returning them to the contractor and discussed cleaning out their house in anticipation of a law enforcement search. The complaint also claims that Muneeb Akhter stole IRS information from a virtual machine, including federal tax data and identifying information for at least 450 individuals, and stole Equal Employment Opportunity Commission information after being fired by the government contractor.
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> Muneeb Akhter has been charged with conspiracy to commit computer fraud and destroy records, two counts of computer fraud, theft of U.S. government records, and two counts of aggravated identity theft. If found guilty, he faces a minimum of two years in prison for each aggravated identity theft count, with a maximum of 45 years on other charges. His brother, Sohaib, is charged with conspiracy to commit computer fraud and password trafficking, facing a maximum penalty of six years if convicted.
[1] https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/contractors-with-hacking-records-accused-of-wiping-96-govt-databases/
[2] https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/two-virginia-men-arrested-conspiring-destroy-government-databases
[3] https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26336049-muneeb-sohaib-akhter-indictment/
Re:DEI hires (Score:5, Insightful)
I'd argue the whole problem here is that they weren't hires at all. They were the cheapest employees that some third party could find to technically meet their terms of service to the government. Contracts for everything is one of the many trends poisoning the US's ability to function as a nation.
And it turns out that loyalty and law abiding are two of the parameters that might matter to a government but isn't a big deal to a government contracting service.
And I think it's also safe to say in 2025 that this approach hasn't saved taxpayers money either. Now we're paying for shoddy work, and the contracting business's profit, instead of just shoddy work.
Re: (Score:2)
Immigrants, and even migrants, have a lower rate of criminal behavior than native born Americans. So blow it out your ass.
Re: (Score:2)
This hack happened in February, after they were fired by the Trump admin. So yeah, these idiots are Biden hires that Trump's team fired.
Charge the man that hired them too. (Score:4, Insightful)
What possible reason could you have for hiring contractors that have a record of hacking your organization?
I could see hiring people that hacked somebody else.
I could see hiring hackers as direct employees so you can keep a close watch on them.
But hiring a hacking organization as contract employees?
That person was either a) Bribed or b) a Moron.
They need to be fired to prevent them from hiring the same people tomorrow.
Hired by Opexus [Re:Charge the man that hired...] (Score:5, Informative)
The contractor they had been hired by was a company called Opexus; they were hired as engineers working on projects for various agencies, including the Internal Revenue Service, Department of Energy, Defense Department and the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General.
Obviously Opexus didn't do a good job at background check.
A few more sites: [1]https://www.bloomberg.com/news... [bloomberg.com]
[2]https://arstechnica.com/inform... [arstechnica.com]
[3]https://cyberscoop.com/muneeb-... [cyberscoop.com]
[1] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2025-12-05/foia-data-breach-leads-to-indictment
[2] https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2025/12/previously-convicted-contractors-wiped-gov-databases-after-being-fired-feds-say/
[3] https://cyberscoop.com/muneeb-sohaib-akhter-government-contractors-insider-attack/
politics and/or incompetence (Score:2)
Ring wing operatives have long been trying to prove that government doesn't work.
Re: (Score:3)
> Ring wing operatives have long been trying to prove that government doesn't work.
Right-wing operatives have long been pushing that ALL government work should be done by hiring contractors from private industry. This was an example.
Ah, don't worry... (Score:1)
...I'm sure they'll make some "donations" to the right people and be pardoned in no time.
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
Hey it worked for a prolific drug trafficker [1]https://apnews.com/article/hon... [apnews.com]
Deleting a few files is nothing.
[1] https://apnews.com/article/honduras-us-hernandez-trump-pardon-099332ff4b81bafa3a32c642368ca665
Re: (Score:2)
If they need to make donations it'll have to be to a Democrat. They were fired in February by Trump's people. February (after being fired) is when they committed the crime.
Stoopid criminals (Score:4, Insightful)
Anyone who has a temper-tantrum like this over getting fired shouldn't have been allowed near systems in the first place.
Anyone working in IT who isn't at least aware of the layers of surveillance at any reasonable sized shop is terrible at their job.
And simply as a matter of competence, anyone who does something like this without a plan ("Muneeb Akhter also allegedly asked an artificial intelligence tool for instructions on clearing system logs after deleting a database") is a fucking moron.
Re: (Score:2)
Yup. This is exactly the sort of reference I want for my next job.
Been through several goivenment audits. (Score:3)
And the one main take away is. Not once, did the auditors actually check anything in the real world.
It is all just how the paperwork is filled out. Is the box for contractor background checks, checked? Great next item on the list.
Re: (Score:2)
"goivenment" I know spelling!
As advertised (Score:2)
They moved fast and broke things.
backups (Score:4, Interesting)
They don't do backups at those outfits?
Re:backups (Score:4, Insightful)
Backups cost money and anyone with that knowledge was likely purged when Elon was running around with armed security firing people.