Cyber attacks are common in many companies but the ones with internal support get the most impact. It appears like few employees at AT&T – one of the leading mobile carriers in the US has been getting bribed from a Pakistani man to gain access to their computer network.
According to the statement from the US attorney’s office, it is said that a 34-year-old man named Muhammad Fahd from Pakistan has paid over a million dollars over 2012 – 2017 to AT&T employees for unlocking over 2 million smartphones. This move by Fahd cost the company millions of dollars.
Muhammad Fahd is accused of installing malware that allowed him to unlock and remove any device from the AT&T network. The report states that the man initially used to send IMEI numbers of phones that he was sure belonged to AT&T’s network. The insiders at AT&T would then unlock those devices.
Ever since many of the insiders got fired by AT&T, Fahd got help from remaining insiders to develop additional tools that would help him access AT&T computers which led to unlocking phones from anywhere.
The report also says that the bribes were given both in person and through payment methods like Western Union. If the case gets proven, Fahd will be facing up to 20 years of prison for violating the Travel Act and the Computer Fraud & Abuse Act.
“This defendant thought he could safely run his bribery and hacking scheme from overseas, making millions of dollars while he induced young workers to choose greed over ethical conduct. Now he will be held accountable for the fraud and the lives he has derailed.”, said Brian Moran, the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington.
In case you’re wondering, the malware is a keylogger that allowed him to gather proprietary information on the company’s secure computers and applications. So, what do you think of this situation? Share your thoughts in the comments.
