NYPD Auxiliary Officer Hacking into NYPD Computer + FBI Database

Yehuda Katz, a New York City Police Department (NYPD) Auxiliary Deputy Inspector assigned to the 70th Precinct in Brooklyn, executed a scheme to hack into a restricted NYPD computer and other sensitive law enforcement databases. He was caught and brought in.

“Katz used his position as an auxiliary officer to hack into restricted computers and networks in order to obtain the personal information of thousands of citizens in a scheme to enrich himself through fraud,” stated United States Attorney Loretta E. Lynch. “The threat posed by those who abuse positions of trust to engage in insider attacks is serious, and we will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to vigorously prosecute such attacks.”

Katz installed multiple electronic devices in the Traffic Safety Office of the NYPD’s 70th Precinct that allowed him to remotely access restricted NYPD computers and law enforcement databases, including one maintained by the FBI, that he did not have permission to access. One of the electronic devices installed by the defendant contained a hidden camera that captured a live image of the Traffic Safety Office and was capable of live-streaming that image over the Internet. The second electronic device was connected to one of the computers in the Traffic Safety Office and allowed the computer to be accessed and controlled remotely.

Spy equipment is cheap, during the course of your day, are you suspicious of any devices hanging around? Who would you tell and who would handle it? What do you log to make sure you don’t accuse the wrong people?

Read the FBI release here.