Daniel Rhyne, Computer Network Hacking, New Jersey 2023

⏱ 2 min read

A Missouri man unleashed a digital nightmare on a New Jersey-based industrial company, hacking into their computer network and demanding $750,000 in Bitcoin or face further destruction. Daniel Rhyne, 59, of Kansas City, Missouri, executed the scheme in November 2023.

Rhyne, then a New Jersey resident, worked as a core infrastructure engineer at the company, but his expertise was turned against his former employer. He initiated unauthorized remote desktop sessions, scheduled tasks to delete network administrator accounts, and set servers to shut down.

On November 25, 2023, Rhyne deployed the tasks, disrupting the company’s operations, and sent an extortion email to employees, threatening to continue the assault unless he received the massive ransom. The FBI Newark Field Office cracked the case, and Rhyne pleaded guilty to extortion and intentional damage to a protected computer.

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