A tech worker has been sentenced to two years in prison for an insider attack on Brightly Software, where he attempted to extort the company for approximately $2.5 million. Cameron Nicholas Curry, a 27-year-old data analyst contractor for the Siemens-owned firm, was found guilty of six counts of extortion in March after stealing sensitive corporate data and threatening employees over a six-week period.
According to the Justice Department, Curry, also known as “Loot,” accessed the company’s network between August and December 2023, stealing sensitive employee and compensation information. Following his termination, he sent over 60 threatening emails to Brightly Software employees, demanding a ransom to prevent the disclosure of the stolen data, which he framed as an effort to promote salary transparency.
Brightly Software, which was acquired by Siemens in 2022, was named as the victim in court records filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina. The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Curry ultimately extorted the company for $7,540.92 in late January 2024.
The case highlights the risks associated with granting employees or contractors access to sensitive data on company-owned devices. Curry’s operational security mistakes, including using personal data to create a Coinbase account linked to his family members’ debit cards, facilitated the investigation. The FBI conducted searches of his apartment and digital devices weeks after the ransom was paid.
Curry faced a potential sentence of up to 12 years but received a two-year sentence followed by one year of supervised release. His lawyers argued that the case was prolonged due to errors by prosecutors, including incorrect claims about the company’s headquarters, which led to a change in trial venue and extended pretrial confinement.
The incident underscores the importance of robust cybersecurity measures and the potential consequences of insider threats in organizations. For more details, see the full report by CyberScoop.
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