A woman in the US has pleaded guilty in a Brooklyn court after breaking into a credit union’s computer system and deleting over 20 gigabytes of data in retaliation for her termination. Juliana Barile admitted to one count of computer intrusion and could face up to 10 years in prison along with a fine.
Court documents reveal that Barile was let go from her part-time position at an unnamed New York credit union on May 19. Just two days later, she remotely accessed the credit union’s file server and deleted more than 20,000 files and nearly 3,500 directories, totaling around 21.3 gigabytes of data. This deleted information included crucial documents related to mortgage loan applications and the credit union’s anti-ransomware protections.
Barile expressed her actions in text messages to a friend, stating, “I deleted their shared network documents.” As a result of her actions, her former employer has incurred approximately $10,000 in expenses to repair the damage.
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Michael Driscoll commented on the situation, stating, “Ms. Barile may have thought she was getting back at her employer by deleting files; however, she did just as much harm to customers. Her petty revenge not only created a significant security risk for the bank but also left customers who relied on paperwork and approvals for their home purchases in a difficult situation.”