Two hackers have recently been charged with breaking into the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) portal last year. The pair, Matthew Phillips, 27, and Justin Liverman, 25, have been accused of using stolen usernames and passwords to gain access to the portal. The portal normally is used for communication between the DEA and other law enforcement agencies about sensitive data related to drug investigations.
The two men are alleged to have broken into the DEA portal in October 2020. According to the complaint, Phillips and Liverman obtained a list of user names and passwords from several email accounts that were associated with a government domain. They are then said to have used this information to gain access to the DEA’s secure portal. It is not yet known what information they may have accessed or if they used the portal for any other purposes.
Once the breach was discovered, the FBI began an investigation into Phillips and Liverman, who were later identified as the hackers. The two were charged with aggravated identity theft, unauthorized access to a computer, and fraud in connection with computers. If convicted, they face up to five years in prison.
The DEA breach marks the latest in a long string of cyberattacks targeted at government agencies. The Department of Homeland Security recently warned of a sustained cyber attack against the agency that aimed to collect data about the agency’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The FBI is also investigating several other incidents that have targeted public and private businesses.
Hacking into government agencies is a serious crime, and those found guilty will face the consequences. Security measures must be taken seriously to ensure that breaches such as this one do not occur in the future. It is also important that all users of online accounts change passwords regularly and use two-factor authentication whenever possible. In this way, users can better protect themselves and their data from hackers who are out to commit crimes.