The FBI announced this week the indictment of Douglas James Duchak, former employee at the TSA's Colorado Springs Operations Center (CSOC) on charges of attempting to intentionally damage a protected computer. Duchak allegedly attempted to damage the TSA CSOC database which receives its screening data from the government's Terrorist Screening Database and the U.S. Marshal's Service Warrant Information Network.
According to the indictment, Duchak was employed as a data analyst at the TSA CSOC from at least August 2004 through October 23, 2009, where he handled data updates from the federal government's Terrorist Screening Database and the United States Marshal's Service Warrant Information Network. Duchak received notice on October 15, 2009 that his employment at CSOC would be terminated on October 30, 2009.
On October 22, 2009, Duchak allegedly attempted to install malicious code in an effort to damage the CSOC database.
Count one of the indictment alleges that on October 22, 2009, Duchak attempted intentionally to cause damage without authorization to a protected computer, namely, he knowingly transmitted code into the CSOC server containing data from the U.S. Marshal’s Service Warrant Information Network, and thereby intentionally attempted to cause damage to the CSOC computer and database.
Count two of the indictment alleges that on October 23, 2009, Duchak attempted intentionally to cause damage without authorization to a protected computer, namely, he knowingly transmitted code into the CSOC server that contained the Terrorist Screening Database, and thereby attempted intentionally to cause damage to the CSOC computer and database.
The indictment alleges that the defendant attempted intentionally to cause damage without authorization to the CSOC computers, which caused loss aggregating at least $5,000 or more during a one-year period and if completed would have caused damage affecting a computer used by the United States government in furtherance of national security.
Duchak faces up to 10 years in federal prison and $250,000 in fines.
Source: Denver Branch of the FBI
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