IT worker hacked bank after pay snub

AN IT worker with a “grudge” hacked the Government’s small business bank, and took over his boss’s webcam after he was denied a pay rise, a court heard.

Ashley Crispin, 23, worked at the British Business Bank for three years before he became “disillusioned” and handed in his notice.

In April 2019, while working his notice, he hacked into the bank’s systems, blocking screens and stopping 60 staff from being able to work properly for more than a week. His spyware also took over s enior I T manager Sandy George’s webcam and covertly took pictures of him, Inner London Crown Court heard. He was eventually caught and dismissed.

Sam Barker, prosecuting, said: “He failed to gain a pay rise as IT analyst. He became disillusioned and clearly bore a grudge.”

He also lied on his CV to get another role with investment firm Omni Partners, declining to mention that he was under police investigation. Crispin, of Stratford, admitted three counts of unauthorised modification of computer material, one count of unauthorised access to a computer and one count of fraud by claiming that he was not under investigation.

He was handed an eightmonth sentence, suspended for two years with 200 hours of unpaid work, an 8pm to 6am tagged curfew for three months, and ordered to pay £800 costs.

Sentencing, Judge Jeremy Donne told Crispin: “It is difficult not to form the conclusion that you were carried away with your own self worth and sense of importance. In other words, you behaved utterly arrogantly, t he damage you caused to your former employer was not i nconsiderable because it undermines their own t r ust in t hei r IT systems. They quite properly reported themselves to the regulator.”

The costs of independently investigating the security breaches cost the British Business Bank £41,856 and 20 business days, Omni Partners £33,088, and the City of London’s Cybercrime unit at least £22,000.