FBI Accuses Insider Of Stealing Federal Reserve Computer Code

Computer programmer Bo Zhang had access to data that only a privileged few have the authority to touch. He worked for the Federal Reserve and dealt with sensitive information on a regular basis. He scored security clearance levels that most foreign entities would die for. And what happens when you get to play with hyper sensitive government data?

You make a copy of that data and use it in training materials that you use in your side business, right? Well maybe you don't, but that's exactly what the FBI alleges Mr. Zhang did. That's right; he didn't use the information for personal gain or to plan an attack on the Federal Reserve. He used it because he wanted to have a nice-looking set of data for training purposes.

It is not believed that Zhang's illegal theft of government property poses any kind of risk to the government's financial structure. The data he stole was largely clerical in nature and detailed payments that were sent between federal agencies. "As today's case demonstrates, our cyber infrastructure is vulnerable not only to cyber criminals and hackers but also alleged thieves like Bo Zhang, who used his position as a contract employee to steal government intellectual property," said US Attorney Preet Bharara in an FBI press release.

[via Bank Info Security]