Colby Anderson, 25, of Brockton, Massachusetts, admitted in federal court today to sabotaging his former employer’s computer systems after being fired, unleashing chaos across a regional internet provider’s network. Anderson pleaded guilty to one count of intentionally causing damage to a protected computer without authorization, a federal crime carrying up to 10 years behind bars.
The breach occurred in August 2018, shortly after Anderson was terminated from his role as a Network Operations Center Technician at Blueport Wireless, a high-speed internet access provider. Instead of walking away, Anderson turned vengeful. Using stolen login credentials from former colleagues, he remotely accessed the company’s internal systems and wiped out approximately 120 customer configuration profiles—crippling service for businesses and households across the state.
The digital purge triggered widespread internet outages at customer facilities, disrupting operations and demanding a full emergency response from Blueport’s tech team. Investigators traced the intrusion back to Anderson through IP logs and authentication records, revealing a deliberate, late-night attack launched from his personal device. The damage, while not quantified in financial terms in court, was operationally severe and required days to mitigate.
Anderson was arrested in October 2018 and charged by criminal complaint. He was released on conditions while awaiting court proceedings. Now, with his guilty plea entered before U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young, sentencing is scheduled for July 22, 2019. Under federal law, the charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000—or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.
Prosecutors in the case, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie A. Queenin of the Cybercrimes Unit in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, emphasized the growing threat of insider cyberattacks—especially from disgruntled employees with elevated system access. The case, they say, underscores the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to internal breaches, even after termination.
The announcement was made jointly by United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Field Office. As federal cyber investigations intensify, this case stands as a stark warning: access is a privilege, and abuse of that trust will land you in federal court.
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Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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