Court Cases
Former Indian employee jailed in Singapore for deleting company servers, causing S$918,000 loss
Feeling aggrieved by his dismissal, a former employee accessed his ex-employer’s computer systems and deleted virtual servers, causing a loss of about S$918,000. Kandula Nagaraju, an Indian national, was sentenced on 10 June to two years and eight months in jail for unauthorized access to computer material.
SINGAPORE: A former employee, upset over his termination, accessed his ex-employer’s computer systems and deleted virtual servers, resulting in a loss of approximately S$918,000 (US$678,000).
Kandula Nagaraju, an Indian national, was sentenced on Monday (10 June) to two years and eight months in jail for unauthorized access to computer material.
As reported by Singapore state media CNA, the 39-year-old was employed by NCS, a Singapore-based information communication and technology services company and a subsidiary of Singtel Group.
His contract was terminated in October 2022 due to poor performance, with his last official working day being 16 November 2022.
Feeling aggrieved by his dismissal, Nagaraju accessed NCS’s computer test systems from India, using his laptop and former administrator credentials to delete 180 virtual servers.
Between November 2021 and October 2022, Nagaraju was part of a 20-member team managing the quality assurance (QA) computer system at NCS.
This system, consisting of about 180 virtual servers, was used to test new software and programs before launch. Importantly, no sensitive information was stored on these servers.
After returning to India, Nagaraju accessed the system unauthorizedly on six occasions between 6 January 6 and 17 January 2023.
Upon securing a new job, he came back to Singapore in February and rented a room with a former NCS colleague.
Using his colleague’s Wi-Fi network, he accessed NCS’s system again on 23 February 2023.
During these unauthorized accesses, Nagaraju tested and eventually executed a computer script designed to delete the virtual servers one by one.
He made a total of 13 unauthorized accesses in March 2023, culminating in the deletion of the servers on 18 and 19 March.
The following day, NCS’s team discovered the system was inaccessible and subsequently realized the servers had been deleted.
An internal investigation identified several IP addresses linked to the unauthorized access, leading to a police report filed on 11 April 2023.
The police seized Nagaraju’s laptop and found the script used for the deletions, which he had developed after searching Google for similar scripts.
“Human Oversight” blamed for former employee’s continued access
In response to queries from CNA, NCS stated that the incident was due to a “human oversight” as Nagaraju’s access to the standalone test environment was not terminated immediately after his departure.
Once the unauthorized access was discovered, NCS terminated all access and reported the incident to the police.
NCS assured that it has stringent processes and controls in place and will continue to enhance them to prevent such incidents.
The company emphasized its zero-tolerance policy towards wrongful conduct, expecting all personnel to act with integrity and honesty.
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NCS deals with the IT systems of PAP, even they are hiring India Indians. Looks like they also support Ceca too. You can expect these things with when you hire FT
This article highlights just how exposed Singapore’s digital infrastructure is to state-backed actors. This person acted independently, but imagine just how many foreign agents have been hired by Govt-linked companies and have access to a treasure trove of data? Recall the MOH data breach and the downing of ICA’s systems. Perhaps they were all inside jobs, we will never know. The ruling government passes “foreign interference” laws, but now we know it is only for the purposes of “fixing the opposition.” Let’s face it, who are they trying to fool? Other than the 70% Cotton Sheep of course. Foreign agents… Read more »
This is out in the open but how about the many foreigners in sensitive worksites? At some point someone is going to shut us down and ask for a huge blackmail. Please get ready for it.
NCS or National Computer Systems was formally owned by government then later sold to Singtel but it’s still majority owned by Temasek.
NCS must be living well and enjoying fat incomes from contracts after contracts from u know who.
But with their easily earned contracts, there’s no need to improve and compete with the real world so lapses and growth stunts is the “forte” of this company
How many such types of people SG have imported and let them settle here as citizens last 20 yrs with mass migration? Luckily this chap shoot himself onthe foot and will be banished from SG after jail time.
And with such serious offences, why so lenient on the offender? Should have caned him 20 rotans and jail him at least 10 years then deport him from SG back to their Incredible Land, where castes systems still prevalent and cheating from schooling age with blessing of their families and relatives
Quote :
– search Google for deletion servers
No one at his employer search Google for scripts to secure servers.
Quote :
– poor performance –
Haha how is poor performance rated, qualified, by whom?
Perhaps even the rater need to be rated.
Strange I posted a few msgs on a few occasions on this forum my knowledge of Indian Nationals working in SG, have personal businesses, official registered entities (some suspiciously in collaboration with, partners with unknown overseas people) to snag away, to compete contracts with their ‘own employers who pay them to do so’ but without employers knowledge and permission obviously. Goes to show HOW the types of, and WHAT mentality SG bosses possesses. Now I m having my last laugh, oblivious, right. This PAP Administration always believe CECA is a SLAM DUNK. SGpns know nuts but give them the mandate… Read more »