Andrew Heinzman
Have you ever been so mad at your boss that you deleted all of the company’s email accounts? After getting fired from the Carlsbad Company, an IT contractor decided to hack his former workplace and delete 1,200 of the company’s 1,500 Microsoft 365 accounts. He’s now sentenced to two years after a trial in southern California.
Back in 2018, Deepanshu Kher found himself working for the Carlsbad Company through an IT consultant firm. He was supposed to help the company migrate to Microsoft 365, a popular suite for businesses who want to keep their emails, calendars, and professional software all in one place.
But for whatever reason, the Carlsbad Company wasn’t happy with Deepanshu Kher’s performance. After relaying this information to the IT consultant firm responsible for his job, Deepanshu was fired and relocated to his home in India.
Let’s be real—anyone would be mad if they were fired and forced to move back home. But instead of taking out that anger with a nasty email or phone call, Deepanshu decided to hack the Carlsbad Company and take down 1,200 of its newly erected Microsoft 365 accounts. Doing so disconnected the Carlsbad Company from its clients, causing three months of mayhem and over $560,000 in damage.
Evidently, Deepanshu forgot that he had sabotaged the Carlsbad Company four years ago, or just never realized there was a warrant for his arrest. After flying to New York on January 11th to visit a family member, he was arrested and charged with “Intentional Damage to a Protected Computer.”
After two years in custody, Deepanshu will spend three years on supervised release. He also owes the Carlsbad Company $567,084 in restitution. It’s just like that old saying: When you’re seeking revenge after getting fired, you should probably avoid any measures that cause half a million dollars in damage.
Source: US Department of Justice via Bleeping Computer
