<p>A 40-year-old Indian-origin engineer in the US has pleaded guilty to a revenge cyber attack on the computer networks of his former employer and three ex-clients after he was fired from the job, causing them damages of over USD 130,000.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Kamlesh Patel pleaded guilty yesterday in US District Court in Boston to two counts to causing damage without authorisation to Internet-connected computers and to one count of using means of identification to commit the offense.<br /><br />US District Court Judge Leo T Sorokin scheduled sentencing for September 28, Justice Department said.<br /><br />Patel worked as a senior network engineer at Northborough-based Baesis Inc, a company that offered network maintenance and security services to its clients.<br /><br />In October 2010, after Baesis terminated Patel, he used a colleague's network credentials to access Baesis’s computer network and deleted the company's image server, a computer that stored copies of clients' network configurations.<br /><br />In late January 2011, Patel used his former colleague's credentials once again to access Baesis's network and the networks of three former clients.<br /><br />Patel used specialised software to delete data from all four companies' networks.<br />As a result, the victim companies temporarily lost use of their networks, including Internet and e-mail access. One victim company lost access to its Internet telephone system for several weeks.<br /><br />Patel's victims incurred USD 137,896 in damages. He has agreed to pay this amount in restitution in connection with his plea.<br /><br />The charges of causing damage without authorisation to Internet-connected computers provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of USD 250,000.<br /><br />The charge of using means of identification to commit a felony provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, two years of supervised release and a fine of USD 250,000. <br /><br /></p>
<p>A 40-year-old Indian-origin engineer in the US has pleaded guilty to a revenge cyber attack on the computer networks of his former employer and three ex-clients after he was fired from the job, causing them damages of over USD 130,000.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Kamlesh Patel pleaded guilty yesterday in US District Court in Boston to two counts to causing damage without authorisation to Internet-connected computers and to one count of using means of identification to commit the offense.<br /><br />US District Court Judge Leo T Sorokin scheduled sentencing for September 28, Justice Department said.<br /><br />Patel worked as a senior network engineer at Northborough-based Baesis Inc, a company that offered network maintenance and security services to its clients.<br /><br />In October 2010, after Baesis terminated Patel, he used a colleague's network credentials to access Baesis’s computer network and deleted the company's image server, a computer that stored copies of clients' network configurations.<br /><br />In late January 2011, Patel used his former colleague's credentials once again to access Baesis's network and the networks of three former clients.<br /><br />Patel used specialised software to delete data from all four companies' networks.<br />As a result, the victim companies temporarily lost use of their networks, including Internet and e-mail access. One victim company lost access to its Internet telephone system for several weeks.<br /><br />Patel's victims incurred USD 137,896 in damages. He has agreed to pay this amount in restitution in connection with his plea.<br /><br />The charges of causing damage without authorisation to Internet-connected computers provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of USD 250,000.<br /><br />The charge of using means of identification to commit a felony provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, two years of supervised release and a fine of USD 250,000. <br /><br /></p>