Vincent Cannady, a former cybersecurity consultant, was arrested for attempting to extort $1.5 million from a multinational company. Cannady, who had been hired by a staffing agency to assess and address potential vulnerabilities, threatened to disclose confidential and proprietary information of the company.
Motive: Revenge
His actions were motivated by revenge following his dismissal for insufficient performance. He allegedly used a company-provided laptop to download sensitive information, claiming he had been discriminated against and demanding financial compensation under the threat of making this information public.
A Reminder of Best Practices
This incident highlights the critical importance of maintaining rigorous protocols during the onboarding and offboarding of employees, especially for those with access to sensitive information. A well-structured departure procedure can help prevent unauthorized access to critical information after an employee’s departure.
How to Protect Yourself?
For companies looking to strengthen their cybersecurity protocols, Cybergarde offers tailored advice. Cybergarde specializes in protecting information and systems from cyberattacks and internal threats. Using services like those offered by Cybergarde can help prevent situations where former employees access critical information.
Learn More
To learn more about how Cybergarde can secure the onboarding and offboarding processes within your organization, I recommend contacting us.
In Summary:
- Companies must implement rigorous onboarding and offboarding protocols.
- Unauthorized data access can have serious consequences.
- Services like those offered by Cybergarde can help protect companies against internal threats.
- Share this article with your colleagues and network to raise awareness of this important issue.