AI Blamed in Government Database Wipeout
▼ Summary
– Two sibling contractors, previously convicted for hacking, were charged again for deleting government databases minutes after being fired from their federal contracting job.
– The brothers allegedly accessed and deleted 96 sensitive databases, including investigative files and FOIA records, from a government agency’s server.
– They attempted to cover their tracks by using an AI chat tool to ask how to clear system and event logs from servers.
– Their efforts to destroy evidence failed, as detailed in the indictment, though it’s unclear if the AI provided poor instructions or they executed them incorrectly.
– Prosecutors also allege the men discussed removing incriminating evidence from their homes and wiped their employer-issued laptops days later.
Two brothers previously convicted of hacking into US government systems now face new charges for a remarkably clumsy attempt to steal and destroy sensitive federal records immediately after their termination from a contractor role. The Department of Justice alleges the siblings used an AI chatbot in a failed effort to cover their digital tracks, highlighting a novel and poorly executed misuse of emerging technology in a criminal scheme. This case underscores the persistent threat of insider attacks and the legal consequences of weaponizing artificial intelligence against government infrastructure.
According to a recently unsealed indictment, Muneeb Akhter and Sohaib Akhter, both 34 and from Alexandria, Virginia, worked as federal contractors for a Washington, D.C.-based company serving numerous US agencies. On the afternoon of February 18, the company fired the pair. Prosecutors state that within five minutes, the brothers began attempting to access their former employer’s systems and connected government databases. While one brother found his account already disabled, the other successfully accessed a server hosting a federal agency’s database. He then executed commands to lock out other users before allegedly issuing a directive that erased 96 separate databases. These databases held highly sensitive materials, including investigative files and records pertinent to Freedom of Information Act requests.
The indictment reveals that after deleting Department of Homeland Security information, the brothers realized they lacked the technical expertise to conceal their actions. In a critical misstep, one of the men reportedly turned to an AI chat tool, querying it for instructions on how to clear system logs from SQL servers and wipe event logs from a Microsoft Windows server. The detailed charges suggest this attempt to cover their tracks was entirely unsuccessful, though it remains unclear whether the AI provided faulty guidance or the brothers failed to implement it correctly.
Evidence cited by prosecutors indicates the siblings were aware of the severity of their situation. In communications following the incident, they allegedly discussed removing potential evidence from their residences. Three days after the database deletions, they purportedly performed a clean reinstall of the operating systems on their company-issued laptops. The documented sequence of events, from the instant retaliation after termination to the awkward reliance on an AI tool for criminal instruction, paints a picture of a reckless and ultimately futile operation. The case serves as a stark reminder that while technology evolves, the fundamentals of digital forensics and legal accountability remain firmly in place.
(Source: Ars Technica)
