Details about the company that was blackmailed by a dismissed information security specialist have been revealed.
Former cybersecurity consultant Vincent Cannady faces up to 20 years in prison after being charged with extorting $1.5 million. from an international IT company.
Kannady, 57, was arrested in early May in El Dorado Springs, Missouri, after a lengthy effort to get a" settlement " over claims he was fired from an IT company in June 2023.
From May 2022 to June 2023, Kannadi worked for an unspecified company with headquarters in New York, where his main responsibilities were to identify security vulnerabilities that could lead to corporate data leaks. This role gave Kannadi access to the company's IT infrastructure and stored data.
After being dismissed for low labor productivity, Kannadi was offered a 2-week severance pay as compensation and demanded to return all devices and data to the company. However, 3 days after the dismissal, the former employee used a work laptop to access and download confidential information, including intellectual property, to his personal cloud storage.
Kannadi began his attempts to get compensation, claiming discrimination in his favor and claiming that he would not be able to communicate with his former employer for at least a month due to health problems. Kannadi offered to settle the issue in exchange for an amount equivalent to a 5-year salary, otherwise, he said, "let the courts decide."
Two weeks later, Kannady increased the rates, requiring an additional 10-year salary from the company under the Intentional Emotional Harm Act. In another letter, copies of which were sent to journalists, he threatened legal action and publication of stolen data if his demands were not met.
The company responded by filing a Kannadi containment suit to prevent the files from being released. Court documents indicate that the New York-based company Kyndryl filed such a claim on September 1, 2023. The company stated that it wants guarantees that the stolen data will be deleted, and requested a medical certificate explaining the health problem.
Kannadi was eventually arrested and charged with extortion under the Hobbs Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. It is emphasized that all charges against Kannadi are preliminary, and his guilt must be proven in court.
Former cybersecurity consultant Vincent Cannady faces up to 20 years in prison after being charged with extorting $1.5 million. from an international IT company.
Kannady, 57, was arrested in early May in El Dorado Springs, Missouri, after a lengthy effort to get a" settlement " over claims he was fired from an IT company in June 2023.
From May 2022 to June 2023, Kannadi worked for an unspecified company with headquarters in New York, where his main responsibilities were to identify security vulnerabilities that could lead to corporate data leaks. This role gave Kannadi access to the company's IT infrastructure and stored data.
After being dismissed for low labor productivity, Kannadi was offered a 2-week severance pay as compensation and demanded to return all devices and data to the company. However, 3 days after the dismissal, the former employee used a work laptop to access and download confidential information, including intellectual property, to his personal cloud storage.
Kannadi began his attempts to get compensation, claiming discrimination in his favor and claiming that he would not be able to communicate with his former employer for at least a month due to health problems. Kannadi offered to settle the issue in exchange for an amount equivalent to a 5-year salary, otherwise, he said, "let the courts decide."
Two weeks later, Kannady increased the rates, requiring an additional 10-year salary from the company under the Intentional Emotional Harm Act. In another letter, copies of which were sent to journalists, he threatened legal action and publication of stolen data if his demands were not met.
The company responded by filing a Kannadi containment suit to prevent the files from being released. Court documents indicate that the New York-based company Kyndryl filed such a claim on September 1, 2023. The company stated that it wants guarantees that the stolen data will be deleted, and requested a medical certificate explaining the health problem.
Kannadi was eventually arrested and charged with extortion under the Hobbs Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. It is emphasized that all charges against Kannadi are preliminary, and his guilt must be proven in court.
