Ohio Man Charged with Malware Attack on Eaton Corporation

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Malware Attack on Eaton Corporation Exposed

A 35-year-old man from Stow, Ohio, has been charged with transmitting and attempting to transmit computer codes, programs or commands with the intention of causing damage to a protected computer, officials announced today in a federal indictment.

Arturas Samoilovas, a former contractor at Eaton Corporation, is accused of inserting malicious software, also known as ‘malware’, into the company’s internal computer network in May 2014, when he was still employed as a financial analyst.

According to the indictment, Samoilovas accessed the Eaton Corporation computer system on May 21, 2014, and inserted the malicious code, which would have deleted files or data from the system if activated. However, the code was discovered after Samoilovas contacted a former co-worker on May 23, 2014, and disclosed the existence of the malicious code.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert W. Kern following an investigation by the Cleveland office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. If convicted, Samoilovas’ sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including his prior criminal record, if any, his role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation.

Eaton Corporation has not commented on the incident, but officials have stressed the importance of cyber security in protecting national security and companies in the district.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The case against Samoilovas is ongoing, and he will have the opportunity to defend himself in court.

Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cleveland office, have emphasized the seriousness of the charges and the potential consequences of cybercrime in the community.

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