In the bustling city-state of Singapore, a man of Indian nationality found himself facing a stark reality: a sentence of two years and six months behind bars. His crime? Unlawfully entering computer systems and erasing 180 virtual servers, leaving his employer with a hefty bill of SGD 918,000 (USD 678,000). The verdict was handed down on a Monday, a day that will likely remain etched in his memory.
But this tale of digital trespassing is not devoid of a backstory. It traces back to the unraveling of a professional journey. Kandula Nagaraju, aged 39, found himself at odds with his employer, NCS, in October 2022. Allegations of subpar performance led to his dismissal on November 16, 2022, marking the end of his tenure with the company.
In the preceding months, Kandula had been a cog in a larger machine, a member of a team entrusted with the stewardship of NCS’s quality assurance (QA) computer system. This system, a nexus of 180 virtual servers, served as the proving ground for new software and programs, devoid of any sensitive data.
The termination of his employment left Kandula disoriented and aggrieved, emotions compounded by a sense of injustice. His belief in his contributions to NCS’s endeavors remained unshaken, a sentiment echoed in his subsequent actions.
Returning to his homeland, India, proved to be a temporary respite, as the allure of accessing NCS’s system lingered. Armed with his laptop and a determination to prove a point, Kandula embarked on a spree of unauthorized entries, spanning January 6 to January 17 of the following year.
February heralded a return to Singapore and a new job, albeit not without ties to his past at NCS. Cozying up with a former colleague, Kandula found himself once again in the vicinity of NCS’s digital domain, leveraging his acquaintance’s Wi-Fi to penetrate the system on February 23, 2023.
What ensued was a calculated campaign of intrusion and sabotage. Crafting computer scripts with a singular intent – to obliterate the virtual servers – Kandula executed his plan meticulously. March bore witness to his repeated forays into NCS’s QA system, culminating in the orchestrated deletion of 180 servers on March 18 and 19, 2023.
As NCS grappled with the aftermath of the digital onslaught, Kandula’s actions did not go unnoticed. A police report followed on April 11, 2023, unveiling a trail of breadcrumbs leading back to him. His laptop, seized by authorities, served as a repository of incriminating evidence, including the damning script responsible for the server deletions.
Through meticulous investigation, it emerged that Kandula’s actions were not borne out of ignorance but a conscious disregard for the boundaries set by his former employer. The toll of his transgressions, quantified at SGD 917,832, stood as a testament to the havoc wreaked by his digital vendetta.