In a bizarre and misguided act of desperation, two sibling contractors previously convicted for hacking into US State Department systems have been charged again. This time, Muneeb Akhter and Sohaib Akhter, both 34 years old from Alexandria, Virginia, are accused of attempting to steal and destroy sensitive government records mere minutes after being terminated from their contractor positions. Their actions exhibit both a troubling disregard for federal law and a puzzling attempt to use AI tools for criminal cover-up.
Rapid Retribution: The Events Unfold
According to an indictment released by the Department of Justice on Thursday, the Akhter brothers did not waste time after their termination. They were employed by an undisclosed contractor that provides services to 45 US government agencies. Just five minutes post-firing, they allegedly began executing their ill-fated plan to access their employer’s systems and federal databases. Notably, one brother had already lost access, yet the other was able to access a government agency’s database and started issuing commands aimed at disabling user connections and deleting various databases.
Prosecutors pridefully noted that the databases wiped contained sensitive investigative files and documents related to the Freedom of Information Act. This brazen attempt to destroy evidence may have been catalyzed by their prior experience with hacking, yet it soon devolved into a comically inept effort to cover their tracks.
AI as an Ally? The Folly of Tech Reliance
In a strikingly ironic twist, Muneeb Akhter reportedly turned to an AI chat tool for help. Just a minute after initiating the deletion of essential Department of Homeland Security data, he posed a query: “how do i clear system logs from SQL servers after deleting databases.” Soon after that, he followed up with another question aimed at clearing event and application logs from Microsoft Windows Server 2012. This reliance on AI reflects a lack of understanding of the intricacies involved in managing and erasing digital footprints, indicating a blend of amateurishness with misguided confidence.
Prosecutors abundantly provided details in the indictment that suggest the brothers’ attempts to evade consequence were pointedly futile. It remains ambiguous whether their efforts were thwarted due to poor advice from the AI or their failure to execute the instructions properly. In the days following the incident, records reveal exchanges between the brothers regarding the removal of incriminating evidence from their residences. Notably, just three days post-incident, they allegedly reinstalled the operating system on their employer-issued laptops in a further bid to erase the digital evidence.
Conclusion: A Lesson in Consequence
The actions of Muneeb and Sohaib Akhter not only spotlight the vulnerabilities in federal systems but also serve as a cautionary tale about the overreliance on technology—especially for unscrupulous intents. Their efforts to navigate the aftermath of their dismissals underscore the importance of cybersecurity measures in the public sector. The ongoing investigation should provide further insights into how such breaches can be effectively prevented in the future.
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Image Credit: arstechnica.com
