“DROP DATABASE”: What not to do after losing an IT job

In the United States, it is not uncommon for employees to have their digital access revoked before they are formally informed of their job termination. This practice, while lacking in compassion, is rooted in a fundamental security concern: a terminated employee with system access poses a significant risk to company data. A striking example of this occurred with the Akhter brothers, Muneeb and Sohaib, who were charged with the destruction of 96 databases containing sensitive U.S. government information shortly after their dismissals from a tech firm last year. The 34-year-old twins had a history of legal troubles; they previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud and computer-related offenses in 2015, resulting in prison sentences of three years for Muneeb and two years for Sohaib. After serving their time, the brothers reintegrated into the tech sector, with Muneeb securing a position at a Washington, D.C. company that provided software and services to numerous federal clients, followed by Sohaib a year later. However, their past caught up with them. On February 1, 2025, Muneeb allegedly requested the plaintext password of an individual who had filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), exploiting their access to the EEOC database to do so. This information was then used to illegally access the complainant's email account. This incident was part of a larger pattern, as Muneeb had been compiling a staggering 5,400 usernames and passwords harvested from his company’s network. Utilizing custom Python scripts, he tested these credentials across various websites, including major platforms such as DocuSign and airlines, successfully breaching accounts. In some cases, he even booked personal travel using the miles stored in the accounts of unsuspecting victims. This serves as a stark reminder of the importance of cybersecurity measures and the potential consequences of compromised digital access.