Fired Indian Employee Causes Major Financial Loss | by Hacking Singapore Firm’s Servers

Employee took Revenge | Fired Indian Employee Causes Major Financial Loss | by Hacking Singapore Firm’s Servers

Introduction:

An Indian national, Kandula Nagaraju, has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison after he illegally accessed and deleted numerous virtual servers belonging to his former employer, NCS, leading to a significant financial loss. This article explores the events leading up to and following this cyber-attack.

Termination and Initial Reaction:

Kandula Nagaraju, aged 39, was dismissed from NCS in October 2022 due to poor performance, despite his belief that he had made valuable contributions during his tenure. His employment officially ended on November 16, 2022. Feeling confused and upset by his sudden termination, Nagaraju returned to India without securing immediate employment in Singapore.

Unauthorized System Access:

In India, Nagaraju accessed NCS's systems without permission using administrator credentials. Between January 6 and January 17, 2023, he accessed the system six times. By February 2023, Nagaraju had found a new job and returned to Singapore. While staying with a former colleague, he accessed NCS’s systems again on February 23, 2023, experimenting with computer scripts to determine their capacity to delete servers.

The Cyber-Attack:

The major cyber-attack occurred in March 2023 when Nagaraju accessed NCS's quality assurance (QA) system 13 times. Over two days, March 18 and 19, he executed a script to delete 180 virtual servers, causing the system to become inaccessible. This attack resulted in severe operational disruptions and financial loss amounting to nearly SGD 918,000 (approximately Rs 5.66 crore).

Investigation and Arrest:

NCS initiated an internal investigation immediately following the cyber-attack. By April 11, 2023, a police report had been filed. Investigations revealed several IP addresses connected to the sabotage, leading to Nagaraju’s laptop, which contained the malicious script and evidence of Google searches on deleting virtual servers. Despite knowing he was unauthorized, Nagaraju continued with his actions, resulting in substantial financial and operational harm to NCS.

Legal Consequences:

The court found Nagaraju guilty of unauthorized access to computer material and causing significant damage. The prosecuting attorney emphasized that Nagaraju knowingly accessed the system without authorization, leading to significant financial losses and operational disruptions for NCS.

Conclusion:

Kandula Nagaraju’s actions following his termination from NCS highlight the severe repercussions of cyber-attacks on businesses. His decision to retaliate against his former employer by deleting vital servers resulted in a heavy financial burden and demonstrated the critical need for stringent cybersecurity measures. This case serves as a stark reminder of the potential damages that disgruntled former employees can inflict on companies.

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