BOSTON (WWLP) – An Ayer man was sentenced Tuesday in federal court in Boston for conducting a cyber attack on the computer network of his former employer at an Essex County public high school.
Conor Lahiff, 30, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to one month in prison and three years of supervised release, with the first 12 months to be served at home, according to the Department of Justice. Additionally, he was ordered to pay $34,110 in restitution. Rahif pled guilty in December 2023 to one count of unauthorized damage to a protected computer.
“Individuals who misused their expertise to retaliate against their former employers through costly and dangerous cyberattacks will be held accountable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “We will continue to work with law enforcement to protect the security of the computer networks we rely on every day.”
“It’s a bad idea to conduct a cyber intrusion to settle a deal with a former employer, but Connor Lahiff did just that. In doing so, he disabled his high school’s phone system and thousands of network user accounts. ” said Jodi Cohen. Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “This short-sighted plan has serious consequences and should serve as a warning to others.The FBI will continue to pursue and bring cybercriminals to justice, regardless of their motivations for intentionally breaking the law. receive.”
In June 2023, Mr. Rahif was fired from his position as Desktop and Network Manager at Essex County Public High School. After Rahif was fired, he used administrator privileges to deactivate thousands of Apple IDs from the school’s Apple School Manager account, a software used to manage students, faculty, staff, and information technology resources. , deleted.
He also disabled more than 1,400 other Apple accounts and other IT-managed accounts, as well as the school’s private phone system, rendering the school’s phone service unavailable for approximately 18 hours.
After Lahif was fired for his accused conduct, he had been offered a similar position at another public high school.
Kayleigh Thomas is a digital reporter who will be part of the 22News team starting in 2022. Follow Kayleigh on X @kayleighctomas Check out her bio to see more of her work.
